


Caramel Frappuccino

by Nikk04



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Be happy I quit, Fine men parading around in aprons, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, I fucked up (evidently) as people don´t like this much abuse, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Seriously i never planned this much fluff to happen, Sometimes Cliffhangers, Sometimes angst, Starbucks Rip-Off, Swearing, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 23:49:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 133,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1960872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikk04/pseuds/Nikk04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Akihito's whole life crumbles down in only one night, he needs a miraculous recovery to go on forward. The chance comes as a job offer in the first ikemen café of Shinjuku. And, thanks to the help of his always reliable friends, Aki meets a smug bastard who thinks he owns the place. And slowly, their relationship begins.</p><p>Disclaimer: Finder belongs to Yamane Ayano.</p><p>UNFINISHED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

As Akihito hit the mattress with full force, thanks to gravity, he could only comprehend one thought in his hazy mind. The past 16 hours simply won the title of the worst of his life (so far). He lingered on the hard, stained linens, his face mushed into the pillow that didn’t really feel soft or calming anymore even though the advertisement sold it as a wonder-pillow. He felt exhausted beyond words: his whole emotional scale shown up during the past half-day and he only wanted to sleep. Maybe he could hibernate for two years and could wake up with a steady job, a wonderful relationship and an apartment that provided him with satisfaction, unlike this shithole with its 10 square meter size.

After a long time face first on the hard bed, he just crawled to the end of it on all fours and hurled his smoke-scented T-shirt into the corner. Said corner already contained a tumbling, enormous mountain of dirty laundry. Unfortunately, the past few weeks he couldn’t really pay the gas bills and therefore the company decided that he surely didn’t need any gas to use. So he couldn’t do any laundry, couldn’t cook on his old, rusty stove and couldn’t even turn on the heater. He also got used to the habit of taking military showers, because there was only so much cold water he could endure without effectively catching a cold.

Thankfully, the flat filled up to the brim with warmth during the days, though the early-spring weather shouldn’t have guaranteed it. Given his god-sent instincts, which even he didn’t know about, Akihito succeeded to find a flat that was facing south – that said, the sun was shining through the window the whole day, warming the room. When he got home, except from late autumn till the end of winter, the perfect temperature lingered inside, providing him the opportunity to cut any kind of heating device. Since early he couldn’t spare any money on entertainment and others, because the flat took away any of his savings, and just the thought of setting up a heating device sent shivers down his spine. If he’d planned to set up a heater, he would have been charged more in the electric bill and he could use that kind of money much better.

The boy sluggishly dragged himself into the bathroom and prepared himself for the inevitable (and literal) cold shower. The creaking of the old floorboard and that musty smell that filled his nose always diverted his mind back to his parents’ house. He would sit in the huge garden, filled with various flowers and insects, their rhythmical cricketing, and buzzing calming his mind. Instead of spending his days in the silent suburb of Fukuoka, with hot water and working heating, and most importantly, delicious home-cooking, he got stuck in this shit hole, where the only positivity meant the central position in the city. At least he lived in the perimeter of Ikebukuro, and his rent mainly paid this kind of a luxury.

Of course, the decision to study in Tokyo to be a famous photojournalist came from his head. His parents would have provided him with everything if he stayed at home with them, but the stubborn boy challenged himself to set his foot in the other end of the country (well not the other end, but quite far away from his home). And he did so fine; he graduated, maintained a steady relationship and worked at a nice bar at the border of 2-chome.

As he leafed through his routine, in preparation of having a not-so-nice shower, the events of the previous night slowly, but steadily started to weigh down on him. Instead of working himself up again, he just waited a few seconds then stepped under the dripping and leaking showerhead.

He already got used to the sensation when the ice-cold drops hit the bare skin of his back. The hiss that erupted from his throat was only just a habit from the first two weeks. So far he struggled through the sixth week with this cruel method to get clean, torturing his lithe body with the freezing treatment of the Russian world war two soldiers, and his cup of fucks to give already started to fill up. Sometimes he’d crash at Kou’s or Takato’s place to take a warm bath, but most frequently he’d go to his boyfriend, Kai.

Well, that won’t happen – ever again.

For the first time during the whole day Akihito let his rage to take over his mind and he smashed his fist hard against the tiles of the bathroom again and again as his guttural scream filled the ether. The red that filled his mind during the night started to seep back, and his scream lasted longer than he expected. That motherfucker of a boyfriend most probably already lay in his queen-sized bed, in his comfortable, 3 LDK apartment with another lover. To be precise: with a woman. Because he needed to get married. Because he’d take over the family business. _You sure understand, Aki._

“Well I sure don’t understand why you couldn’t say it before you fucked me silly for three hours straight, you asshole!” he grumbled and felt the light throbbing coming from his already injured right knuckles.

At least he beat up that bastard, because he deserved it. And he’d have received so much more, but the girl came back and she threatened to call the cops if Aki didn’t leave the apartment right away.

He toweled himself dry, forgetting momentarily the fact that he was freezing cold after the shower, and put on some underwear to wander through the apartment. He lived alone, but he still felt calmer when he had something on – mainly because that old pervert, from the other side of the street, was hanging again by his own window. The old man spent an awful lot of time sitting by that window, ogling Aki’s apartment complex. The goosebump-waking feeling that crept up his back every time he was lingering by the window assured him that the guy indeed focused only on his window, watching him laze around, read or even work-out. The man casually watched him do his crutches and push-ups. This experience naturally disturbed him to no end. 

On second thought, he also put on a T-shirt and wandered towards the refrigerator. The craving for food returned to his system, and he planned to organize a feast to sooth his previous rage. He couldn’t wait to bite into something mushy and tasty, letting him step out of his life, even only for the time of the meal. The whole day he didn’t eat anything because that motherfucker disturbed his mind and mood, and however hard he tried, he couldn’t get away from the thought of him and the events.

After the eventful afternoon at his ex-boyfriend’s place he went straight to work. And of course, he couldn’t concentrate. However hard he tried, he could only feel the throbbing of his aching fist, and the ire that was colouring his vision bright, alarming red. He only wished for everyone to drop dead, because he already suffered through such a shitty day that he couldn’t even care less anymore.

The bar where he worked somehow filled up with shitheads. And he couldn’t really do anything besides enduring the whole thing because his boss was already onto him. Okay, his attitude towards the guests should have been better, he could admit that, but the assholes who wandered in after three AM, screaming on the top of their lungs and groping the boy who innocently collected the empty glasses and bottles from the tables, well they belonged to an entirely different species definitely.

One pervert tried to hire him as a call-girl (or in his case call-boy) and when Akihito rejected, with the utmost patience that he could gather, the guest started to blabber about shitty customer-service and whatnot. He also called for the mama of the house, who casually talked it through with the man and somehow convinced him that Akihito’ demeanour and attitude rendered him incapable as the right choice to invest money into. On one hand the boy was overwhelmed with gratefulness towards his boss, on the other hand, however, that sentence only torn into him, forcing him to contemplate the fact that, maybe, the man really only would have wasted his wealth on something worthless.

And maybe he really wasn’t worth it.

His boyfriend from university, Kai, just dumped him because of an arranged marriage he knew about for a while now. He already met the girl he was about to marry many times. They formed and continued a relationship for almost two months now (behind Aki’s back, of course), and he didn’t even have the decency to tell the boy to end it then and there. 

And the girl even knew about Aki! That frustrated him the most about the whole situation. Poor girl knew that her soon-to-be husband was fucking an underclassman from his university course. They have long ago left behind their university life: Akihito graduated last year in photojournalism, while Kai have continued his master’s studies in the more specific field of lifestyle and nature photography.

His ex belonged to a famous photographer family as a young master, and they accidentally met on Aki’s first day of university. He asked for directions to get to one of the halls and the helpful _senpai_ had Aki under him just after a short two weeks time.

Sure they have never really promised all eternity to each other, but the boy was frustrated because _what the hell!_ That bastard dumped him after three years. He spent three years of his youth with that useless idiot, instead of going to exchange studies abroad and widening his horizon. But no, love blinded him so much that he needed to stick close to his lover.

And here he was! No lover, no experience, no money and, most importantly, no job.

Because, between 4 and 5 AM, he got fired.

And it’s kind of a funny story.

He was just bringing out the trash, finally closing up the place and cleaning up the mess, when he got surrounded in the alley behind the bar. He already experienced fighting with street thugs and he could kick and punch the right places to win some time to get away. When he ran, he felt like he was soaring through the air! At least he had a trait that wasn’t tainted by that asshole. When he attended high school he always backed up the track and field team, and during the sports festival his whole class selected him as a definite member in the relay team.

His blood was already boiling with the prediction of a good fight, and he just swung his right fist to throw a punch to one of the assholes around him, when his boss entered the alley with another man. A tall, handsome guy in a beautifully tailored suit could be labelled quite a novelty in that neighbourhood at that time of the night, though Aki could have bet half of his fortune (not much, but he needed the other half) that the guy belonged to some sort of a yakuza-group. He couldn’t really see the man’s features in the barely lit alley, but these folks always walk around with huge scars on their faces, aren’t they? Pretty sure this man could show some street-war wounds as well. Maybe he even carried a butterfly blade and some guns with himself. The opportunities seemed to be endless. 

Anyways, his mind wandered back to the present, and he still stood in the middle of a thug-circle, ready to fight for his life. He saw that one of the guys from the gang was that prick who tried to buy him for the night. So the man couldn’t get him for a night, so he decided to get revenge because of his wounded pride. The poor, unfortunate soul. Akihito didn’t intend to play around anymore, because his eyes drooped and his mind started to wander away, combining and re-combining his thoughts, making him so exhausted and pathetically weak emotionally. So he threw some punches and kicked some balls and maybe, _accidentally_ broke some fingers, toes and noses, and soon finished the bad guys. They came unprepared, their weakness showing in their uncoordinated, drunk motions. And also Akihito was so pissed off and was so happy to give out his anger within the fight.

For the time being he lost sight of his boss and the other guy, and didn’t really care anymore. His duties only contained him serving drinks, collecting empty glasses and cleaning up the place after closing hours. He never intended to be either a bodyguard or an attraction for anybody to muse over.

He strutted towards the backdoor, he left ajar, when somebody grabbed his shoulder. The large hand radiated comfortable heat to his skin through his shirt, but still scared him shitless, since it came out of nowhere. He only jabbed his elbow hard behind him, where he thought the guy’s head would be (because the hand with the finely manicured fingers definitely belonged to a guy), and aimed blindly for the nose. The crunching sound and the soft thud of the contact of bones assured him that he indeed found his target spot-on.

However, the satisfaction of the perfect shot drained almost immediately.

“AKIHITO!!!” his boss screamed, not sure whether angrily or desperately, and the boy spun around to see the damage.

For a moment he got so scared. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to recollect himself, because he’d never live up to the fact that he made a mistake and elbowed a woman in the face; but fortunately that didn’t happen.

Instead, the one standing there, with blood oozing from his cracked nose, was the handsome, tall guy in the expensive suit. Akihito’s whole life passed before his eyes: he could see himself paying for the surgery and the blood-soaked suit for the rest of his life. Maybe he’ll be sold off as a sex slave! He could imagine _anything_ from the yakuza.

The blood slowly drained out of Akihito’s face, preparing himself for the inevitable punch from the massive guy. Maybe the yakuza will only beat him into a pulp, broke his hands and legs and leave him to rot in the alley. That thought scared him even more, and he decided to fight back, taking up a defensive stance, when his boss appeared next to him out of nowhere, bowing low, and pushing Akihito into a same 90-degree bow.

“Asami-sama, I am truly sorry for what this idiot of a bartender did!” stuttered the mama, and Akihito only could see the man’s expensive, leather loafers against the cold, hard concrete of the street.

“Akihito!” nudged his boss between his ribs with an elbow.

“I apologize because of my rash act…” obeyed the boy unwillingly, but still didn’t look up at the man.

The wounded one didn’t say anything. It started to get frustrating.

“Akihito, put down your apron in the dressing room and don’t ever show your face here again!” screeched his boss, the finality of the sentence echoing in the alley.

The words pierced Aki’s heart so hard, because he lost two fundamental points of his life in just one night. He only stood up, gaze still casted downward, spun around on his heels and marched inside the bar, regretting waking up that morning and regretting ever being so tolerant during his work.

Fifteen minutes later he was leisurely strolling through the streets of Ikebukuro with a feeling of pang in his heart. He couldn’t believe what just happened. The guy surprised him! They saw him in the fight and they knew that he was alert, and the guy still decided to make a surprise attack. Of course he’d hit before asking!

The streets yawned with emptiness, the stillness of the breaking dawn soothing the always busy city. The sun was already peeking from the horizon, and the light purplish-grey of the sky was somewhat calming the boy’s aching heart. 

“This night couldn’t get any worse”, breathed Aki as he crossed a barbed-wire fence that lead to an empty plot in the middle of one of Tokyo’s most inhabited wards. The site undoubtedly belonged to the yakuza. _Everything_ belonged to the freaking yakuza! He wouldn’t be surprised if even his own apartment complex belonged under on of the groups in the Japanese underworld.

He skipped over scattered beer and liquor bottles, and other junk that lied thrown away in the empty slot, and reached the other end of the makeshift dump. He climbed over the wooden plates that separated the slot from his street and landed gracefully. At least his style remained the same.

And right now he was kneeling in front of the empty fridge, leafing through the half-rotten vegetables and other spoiled food. He never really prepared breakfast, since his boss always sent some leftovers home with him from the bar. But now he needed to desert the place immediately, so he couldn’t get anything to soothe his hunger.

He closed the refrigerator and bumped his forehead against the cool metal door. He needed to call one of his friends to get something to eat.

He always fought against his manly pride, never letting anyone to help him without a reasonable argument. His friends always offered comfort and any kind of help they could provide, so open and helpful that he sometimes bound to use their offers. At least he still maintained a close relationship with his friends from high school. The thought of the boys, _his_ boys being there for him always warmed his heart. Maybe he could live through if they helped him. Just for the time being, just until he gets back on track. Then he could pay back every favour and help, and have a nice celebration with everybody. Maybe he could even find a lover for himself who would spoil him rotten and wouldn’t get a fiancée behind his back, or at least wouldn’t hide her.

As he was daydreaming about a hopeful future, he heard his mailbox open and a soft thud. His old and tattered mailbox in the hallway was already rusting at the hinges, so he mainly used the one that he built in his door on his last day off that he didn’t spend with Kai. The relief seeped through his veins, since he didn’t need to encounter awkwardly any of his neighbours in the next few days, letting himself wallow in his self-pity, but he could still check his mails regularly. He crawled towards the door on all fours, because he just gave up on any normal form of movement for the day, and opened the box. In there a simple white envelope stood on its edges, _Takaba Akihito room 403_ written on its side with black ink. It definitely came from the landlord of the complex.

The boy opened it, and after running his eyes through the content of the letter he just simply started to laugh. To be concrete, ha laughed so hysterically that he could have been confused with a hyena. He just dropped onto his back on the cold tile of the ganken and laughed whole-heartedly. He couldn’t do anything else anymore. That event of the day put the dot on the i for him.

He got evicted.


	2. Chapter 2

_3 months later_

The morning sun almost blinded Akihito, as he ran through the streets of Shinjuku to get to the Café Fantasia. The modern coffee shop with its homey interior, the warm welcome of the wood and antique furniture and the always-cheerful baristas, quickly became a hot spot. Besides having one of the biggest choices of exotic coffee beans throughout the whole ward, the hot guys who worked as barista, became all an attraction that contributed to the success of the shop.

Akihito’s chance to work here happened quite suddenly, just a magical chance occurring in the middle of chaos. Soon thereafter he got evicted, he moved in with Takato for the time being, crashing on the couch of his friend. He already contemplated setting himself up as a prostitute, when Takato’s uncle called with the urgency of finding a hot guy to be a replacement for one of the baristas he hired in his brand new coffee shop, waiting for opening. And what a chance, Takato considered Akihito hot (at least Takato thought that he could to work in an _ikemen_ café with his looks), he had experience within customer-service and serving, and, what a coincidence, his employment seemed to be cancelled for the time being.

So Akihito got set up with Kobayashi-san, and passed the interview successfully. Three days later Shinjuku’s own _ikemen_ café opened for everyone, and with the successful marketing they got themselves quite an attraction. With the opening they came discounts and testers and exclusive, almost host-like attitude from the baristas cruising around on the floor. That day the coffee shop started its successful business and they still gained the attention of young females and coffee fans as well.

Since the café’s main selling point for the mass seemed to be the gorgeous workforce, the main customer base consisted of students. After school, during the afternoon the average number of sailor-style school uniforms went over thirty. The girls maintained fan pages, took photos and squealed because of their favourite baristas non-stop. Everyone collected a fan base and they enjoyed so much basking in the attention coming from the under-aged girls. Though not just under-aged girls visited the shop, the university students and NEETs frequented the café as well, who did nothing better than spent their free time in trending places and photographed with their smartphones to Instagram.

The place served also as a favourite dating spot, with its three stories, hidden corners and comfortable and variable furnishing. The design meant to be for the younger generation: with everything they’d think that’s cool and useful.

When customers entered the different floors, they could decide between beanbags, pouffes, and relaxation chairs. On other floors the students were welcomed with tables suitable for group studying, preparing project or having casual fun with friends. And of course, for the lovers and the intimate, business-type meetings, the booths provided the most privacy and discretion.

Everyone could find everything they were looking for. And Akihito always felt such fondness towards the place, because it helped him getting out of the ditch in his life. Those overcast days three months ago only seemed like a bad dream, and he could not really comprehend how that happened. It went away as suddenly as it reared its ugly head into his life.

Currently he shared a flat with two other baristas, Akira and Rin, and he couldn’t ask for anything better then the way he lived right now. He was warmly welcomed by the other baristas and Kobayashi-san, and the homey café brought him so much satisfaction and joy in life, that sometimes he just almost burst with happiness.

Some weeks ago Kobayashi-san requested something strange from him, and he was pleasantly surprised. The talk of re-decorating the walls at one of the study corners echoed through the workforce like a hurricane and the old man asked Akihito for some of his pictures. He was so dumbstruck, since nobody knew in the café about his studies. In the end it turned out that Takato was the one who told his uncle that Akihito possessed quite the amount of artistic pictures of various spots in the city. The old man gladly selected five pictures from his collection, printed them and hung them in the café. Since then Aki comes to work more fondly - if it’s even possible.

As he rounded a corner, his phone rung again in his backpack. The shop’s emblem shone brightly at the end of the street and he didn’t want to bother stopping then jogging again. When he pushed through the front door he leaned against the counter and tried to catch his breath. This morning his alarm clock decided to kick the bucket, so he woke up to the sound of Rin singing in the shower. The other boy never woke up before 6:15 AM, and the moment Akihito heard the off-tune song he shot out of bed and without thinking started to dress into whatever he could find.

In the shop Jonah, a half-blood boy, already cleaned up and started to place the seats to their places. Aki hurried to the changing room and put on the uniform of the café: black, tight fitting V-neck T-shirt, black trousers and the grass green apron with the emblem embroidered with their names right on the left side, just above their heart.

“I’m so sorry, man!” ran Akihito out to the floor, to help the other boy with the packing.

“Don’t worry, it happens sometimes”, smiled the blond boy and his crystal blue eyes sparkled in the morning sun.

Aki only hurled one of the camping tables from the entrance of the shop and carried it out to the terrace. During summertime they also opened a terrace, lined with flowerpots and covered with sunshades. This way everyone can enjoy the light breeze and the warm summer weather, and they can bask in natural light.

After bringing out the tables and chairs, Jonah happily took over the wiping duties of the newly-set tables, while Akihito prepared the counter for the morning rush.

During the rush hours they couldn’t stop even for a minute, since the shop found itself located almost in the middle of the Shinjuku skyscraper district. They already knew the orders of their frequenters, at least two dozens of them, and also every morning some new customers came by, wishing to start their mornings with caffeine.

As Akihito wiped the counter and broke up some change rolls, the morning rush began. When 7:00 AM came, the doors of the shop opened permanently, letting in the fresh fragrance of summertime, hovering around the guests. Jonah took the orders, while Akihito prepared the drinks and shouted out the names of the customer. Their routine came almost naturally, the two boys having the same pace and mind set, so they synchronized their work easily. They sometimes changed their places, Akihito taking over the orders and the cash register, and Jonah mixing the drinks. Their pair seemed to be the most effective during the rush hours, when thirsty and tired salarymen and –women swarmed the shop, impatiently waiting for dictating their orders and hurrying towards their workplaces.

Akihito and Jonah took the early morning shift at least three times a week, but sometimes they’d welcome the guests, with warm smiles and understanding in their eyes, on all weekdays. After the rush dies down they have a calmer pace, only some university students and unemployed guests coming by, sometimes tourists. They’d entertain themselves during these periods with chatting and joining the guests that ask them, or self-studying.

At 8:30, when the last suit-dressed frequenter left the shop, Akihito sighed, glad that the first challenge of the day ended successfully. The only problem occurred during presenting a misplaced order, the guest throwing a tantrum because she didn’t receive her almond-latte, but instead a hazelnut one. They convinced the woman to take the drink and gave her a coupon to get her next drink 50% off. Of course she was also charmed by their host-like techniques as well, so the woman almost floated out of the shop on little pink clouds.

“I’m already so tired”, sighed Jonah as he wiped the counter with a coffee-stained rag, “I didn’t have so much sleep yesterday.”

Akihito stood on the other side, his arms crossed in front of his torso. He hummed the melody that Rin sang in the shower. The pleasantness of the busy morning, the humming and buzzing of his limbs reassured him that he worked whole-heartedly.

“How come?” he asked, and walked over to one of the booths to tilt one of the pictures on the wall back to its normal place.

“I had a date with a babe”, babbled the other boy excitedly, “She’s studying at F University. She’s a psychology major in her second year.”

Akihito hummed and sat down on one of the barstools by the glass wall. He observed the mass of people tumbling through the busy street in the morning. Given the hour, these people were rushing to their workplaces without any rest. Or maybe these people were already heading out to meetings with other companies and associations.

“That’s nice”, answered Akihito absent-mindedly. The only thing he missed in his life seemed to be a steady relationship, though he experienced a handful of one-night stands during the past months.

“Oh come on, Aki, you’ll find somebody soon yourself!” cheered Jonah behind the counter and started to mix a drink for himself.

“If you have so much free time to gossip and chit-chat, then mix me a Caramel Frappuccino”, sighed Akihito heavily, and he pushed himself to stand again.

A group of seemingly university-students sat down at one of the tables outside. Akihito obediently gathered some menus and strutted out to give them to the guests. His mind, always so preoccupied, couldn’t get rid of the idea of having somebody close to him. He craved for a loving touch, some sweet words and a partner who could provide him with everything he dreamed of in a relationship. He did not (only) thought about sex, but passive relaxation as well. He missed someone who he could cuddle with during movies, or just playing video games or, hell, even sitting together and both of them doing their own thing.

Half an hour before the lunchtime rush Kou and Takato walked into the shop, like they owned the place. Well, technically Takato almost did. They fancily strutted towards the counter and without a bother they slid behind it. They shook hands with Jonah, as a greeting, and started to gather ingredients for their favourite, own-mixed drinks.

“Oi, you don’t just do what you want!” scolded Akihito his friends and shoved the advertising board with the café’s emblem to Kou. “Make yourselves useful and copy this to the table if you want to help!” He reached into his rear pocket and gave Takato the list of that day’s recommendations.

The boy then hurried out to the terrace to take the orders of the mothers with their child, who usually frequented the place, at least two times a week. He already had the crackers to the kids in his apron pocket, and definitely knew the order of the mothers as well, but he always brought the menus, and waited patiently for their decision.

“What’s his problem?” asked Kou as he stirred his chai latte with a straw. He sometimes saw Aki cranky, but now he was just a prick.

“I told him about my date yesterday, I guess he got jealous?” shrugged Jonah and he prepared finally the Caramel Frappuccino Akihito has asked for hours earlier.

“I’ve got an idea”, grinned Kou and took the chalk from Takato who was already copying the menu to the advertising board.

Fifteen minutes into lunchtime rush and Akihito already felt exhausted. Jonah begged him to take over the cash register and the orders, and Akihito naturally took on the duty. He shouldn’t have.

“Hey, so, umm…” the salaryman fidgeted uncomfortably, “if you think… you’re up to meeting me outside work, uummm… here’s my number”. The guy practically shoved his business card into Akihito’s hand.

He didn’t want to take it.

Like he didn’t want to take the past three business cards either. But the owners of the card, being more or less smarter than the previous one, just left them lying on the counter, besides their high tip to Aki. The boy just scooped up the coins and dropped them into the common tip jar.

“Hey, sweet cheeks, I wanna Latte with extra cream, and take you out to dinner tonight!” leaned a guy onto the counter, his fringe falling in front of his right eye. From his looks and dress, Aki could decipher that the guy must have been either a university student or a NEET; the aura of the common salarymen definitely lacked in him. Sure his fringe was intended to be sexy and mysterious, but it only made him look like someone who tries so hard.

“553 yens, please”, answered Akihito casually.

The guy gave him 2000 yens, and a charming smile.

“Keep the change”, he said and leaned forward, almost into Aki’s face, “so how about that dinner?”

Akihito turned toward the register and started to count the change. He didn’t want to deal with the likes of this. His anger was already rising because it seemed that all gay men in freaking Shinjuku found him in record time. Sure he felt flattered and all, but why now and why him? He couldn’t really point out something obvious.

“Jonah, I want to change!” he told his co-worker and almost sashayed over the coffee machines when he walked in.

The mysterious, sexy guy, with wide shoulders and a perfect reverse triangle torso just walked up to the counter and stood in front of the current guest. Nobody dared to say anything. The presence of the man forced everybody in the shop to stay quiet, and Akihito only ogled him with wide eyes.

_Holy fuck, this guy looks like a freaking supermodel!_

“What can I give you?” asked the boy absentmindedly, his thoughts tumbling in his mind on each other. It took him about three seconds that he understood what he just said. He coughed uncomfortably, and sipped on his drink to steel his nerves.

The guy on the other side of the counter, with his freaking movie-star aura, only smirked. His eyes glinted with the light coming from outside, the sunshine perfectly reflecting from his honey and golden coloured irises.

Akihito decided that the perfect defence was the offense.

“Please, place your order”, sassed Akihito, “you hinder my work.”

The guy’s smirk stayed on its place, the left corner of his perfect mouth quirked up a little bit more. He still didn’t say anything, just glanced around the shop, then back at Akihito.

“I hope this is not the way you talk to your other guests”, said the man finally, amusement glinting in his voice.

“If they cut the queue and then barricade themselves in front of the counter, without ordering anything, then I indeed speak with them this way”, informed him Akihito coldly. He tried not to give in to the soft baritone of the man, the way he spoke so casually yet gracefully.

“You’re impudent”, teased the man.

“Tell me something I don’t know”, sighed Akihito, “Order or get out!”

The man smiled slowly, like he heard a good joke, and looked at the menu above the counter. He hummed silently, enjoying every goddamn second of Aki’s torture.

“I’m taking what you’re drinking”, decided the man suddenly, and Akihito already grabbed the biggest cup they had.

“Then it’s a Venti Caramel Frappuccino”, he deadpanned and scribbled the details on the plastic cup, “Name?”

“Asami”, answered the guest softly, only for Akihito to hear.

Akihito wrote the name on the cup, under the writing _Asshole in suit_ , then passed it over to Jonah. The man dropped a 10 000 yen note right in front of Akihito.

The boy just froze for a second. The banknote’s unfamiliarity threw him out of the loop. He hasn’t touched such a big note in such a long time, and now this rich bastard parades around with it and drops it like it’s only a used tissue. Damn rich bastards.

“Here’s your change, please come again”, forced a smile Akihito, as he handed the coins and notes back to the guy.

“Actually, I think I will”, grinned the guy and he gracefully glided towards the other end of the counter to receive his drink.

The silence in the shop was almost deafening, and the seconds hardly passed. Akihito took up his job again and asked for the order of the salaryman next in line. The guy in the suit, _Asami_ , was still lingering by the takeaway end of the counter, and he fixed Aki with those piercing eyes, making the boy’s body hot under the intense gaze.

Finally, Jonah finished the Frappuccino, and called out the man’s name loud and clear. Asami only took it from the barista, carefully avoiding touching the boy’s hand. He looked at the scribbles on the side of the cup and his deep, rumbling laugh filled the shop, lightening the mood instantly. He put a straw into the cup and turned towards the door, taking a small sip from the drink. He took five steps, and before exiting the café, half turned back to Akihito.

“If you’re bothered by the admirers, I’d advise you to erase this board”, mused the man, and then he was off without a trace.

The life suddenly returned to the shop, but Akihito felt so bothered by those parting words. He looked over Jonah, whose ears burned so red, they were screaming “BUSTED” loud and clear.

Akihito didn’t miss a beat, he rushed out of the counter before anyone could comprehend what happened, and two seconds later he stood outside, in front of the shop.

The board said cheekily:

_Today’s barista is hella gay and hella single._  
 _For your drink today I recommend:_  
 _Giving me your phone number._

Akihito tried to stay calm, counted to twenty slowly, but the whole thing only boiled down to one single thing inside him.

“KOU!!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the lovely notes and comments :))) you sure gave me motivation to update one more time this week!
> 
> I'd like to apologize for any kind of grammatical error and typos - I work as a beta for myself.
> 
> As for updating, I think I'm gonna do one or two chapters per week, mainly depending on my schedule.
> 
> Have fun reading, and don't forget to comment!! :))

Even though the guy said he would return, he never did. At least he did not show his face during the past three weeks. Akihito always tried to handle the issue subtly, fighting the embarrassment that made him blush, because he fawned over a guest who seemed to be a definite prick and a big fat liar. 

The wonder of the perfect guest remained a topic of gossiping for at least two weeks. Everyone came up with idiotic stories and theories regarding the mysterious man. Some said that he’s a government agent from the Japanese homeland security, whose task contains the terrorism act prevention of popular public places. Others ranted about the guy being a newly discovered international movie star who currently filmed in one of the studios in Osaka and only came to Tokyo for a short holiday, gracing one of the newly popular coffee shops during his visit. And of course the rumours spread so wide that in the end the identity of the man remained in everyone as “a billionaire who’s international shares worth more than the GDP of Tokyo for a year”. It definitely seemed a possibility, given the man’s attitude and clothing.

The ones who accidentally saw the encounter between the man and Akihito all tried to pry something out of the poor boy. How did he speak? What did he say? What colour were his eyes? And his hair? It seemed so lush from where they sat. How tall was he? At least 185 cm, wasn’t he? How was his _scent_? His freaking scent!

When he faced these kinds of questions, Akihito tried to ward off the possibility of an answer. On one hand, his involvement with the man happened because of a coincidence, since he was the one by the register at that time, and on the other hand, gossiping about someone never profited anybody. But he rarely succeeded with his weak techniques of defence. And of course when he started to speak, people eagerly waited to hear more and more. When he told something new, the rumours came back, and made his story so twisted that only the pronouns remained the same. Of course the charm of the situation still warmed his heart: the guests’ lively and friendly interest, the light chatting and brainstorming all created a united community.

Soon the guessing game’s intensity subsided, and the days returned into their normal loop. The guests continued discussing the idol-shows, the Friday variety on TXTV and the fresh gossips from their actual favourite movie stars. Everyone seemed to get over the mysterious guest who caused such uproar in the life of the café.

Everyone, but Akihito, who still waited for the promised next visit of the man. 

Sometimes he’d ask around the other baristas whether they encountered with the arrogant figure during their shifts, but he mostly received negative answers. Every time he casually asked about the visitors, someone unusual, his co-workers would interrogate him. _Who are you waiting for? Are you still expecting to see that guy? Why are you waiting for him? Why didn’t you ask for his number? Are you in love with him, Aki?_

In the end he started to avoid the topic of _Asami_ , and sometimes caught himself almost entering the manager’s office to check out the past shifts security footage to see whether he returned or not. He started to act like an obsessed fangirl, like the ones who frequented the café and fawned over the baristas.

And still he couldn’t just get over the man and his unusual visit. Why would a seemingly rich guy enter a random café where they mostly sold overpriced syrupy coffee and entertained female guests? This whole story seemed fishy. The man seemed like someone who’d never go out of his way (and office) to gather coffee for himself. He seemed like someone who doesn’t really consume these kinds of sugary sweet drinks either, especially not iced coffee, like the one he received from Akihito. It just screamed wrong all over the place.

Akihito, non-the-less, far more than once caught himself checking out tall men in expensive looking suits on the streets and in shops, or ran one or more intersections red, because he thought he saw his target. All of these events proved to be flukes, and he needed to discipline himself quickly not to jump when he saw something he could associate with that rich liar.

The feeling of superiority in the man drew Aki to him. The gracefulness, the self-confidence and his demeanour all assured the boy, that there was something fishy but oh-so-interesting about the guy. He heard the rumours in the café, of course, he proved to be one of the main sources of information (though the stories that borne didn’t really match up with the ones he told), and his imagination started to run wild as well.

He _needed_ to get to know this person more; he craved to dig deep, so deep into the man’s private and business life, to get to know his secrets and his method for keeping his flawless composure. He would give anything and everything to get the chance to meet the man again.

But it seemed to be an unfulfilled wish, since _Asami_ never returned.

“Aki, if you’re finished with your daily dreams about that guy, I could use some help on the second floor with your favourite teenage group of five,” marched into his thoughts Akira’s voice.

The sudden change of environment (in his mind at least) made him jump, and he almost dropped the latte he was stirring with a long spoon for the last, at least, fifteen minutes.

“I’m not having daily dreams about anybody,” pouted the boy, then reached for Akira’s notebook and read the orders.

The other boy’s handwriting was horrible, with his abbreviations, emoticons, and comments about the girls being hot/cute/pretty and the guys being nerdy/sexy/fuckable. Well, yes, Akira seemed to be bisexual. He only worked part-time in the café, since his main focus was his modelling career. His life seemed to be an endless cliché. Because of his lack of height the boy only managed to book magazine photo shoots, and his not-so-hidden desire to be a runway model faded into the distance. He took up working in Café Fantasia since he needed to pay the rent and because his free time started to pile up more and more.

The boy was already taking orders by the cash register, while Akihito prepared and mixed the drinks for the group table, and Aki needed to admit that Akira did his job pretty damn well. Akira’s specialty, the host-like behaviour, made him the number 1 cutie of the shop (based on a poll on the café’s fansite). Akihito only watched his friend dealing with the girls who’s giggle echoed in the shop, lightening the mood more and more. Akira’s flirting and teasing gave him advantage, his customer-service reaching a superb mark.

Akihito shook himself mentally and continued preparing the drinks. He needed to step up his game to be on equal footing with his other co-workers. Of course, everyone always praised him because of his hard-working, earnest nature, but his satisfaction with himself still lay low. Maybe it will eventually reach a satisfactory level, but now he could do so much more to hype up his work performance.

“Oi, here are the drinks”, informed Aki the other barista, while putting the cups and mugs on a tray with the café’s emblem.

“Could you bring it to them?” asked Akira, his eyes still fixated on one of the girls. His chances to go home with a phone number reached as far as the sky.

“Sure”, sighed Akihito and lifted up the countertop to step out onto the floor.

He unhurriedly ascended the stairs to the second floor, heading towards the group of girls and boys with a cheerful smile on his face. He distributed the drinks and chatted with the students, letting them gossip about one or two of their friends Aki knew. He enjoyed hanging out with these youngsters, though he was already in his twenties. They joked and laughed and teased and simply enjoyed life. Their appearance in the café always brought freshness to the days.

“Hey, Aki”, started one of the girls, Mayu, with a light blush on her face. The obviousness of the blooming crush seeped into her speech, her stuttering getting evident.

“Yes?” asked Akihito reassuringly, letting the girl calm down.

“Did _that guy_ , you know, the one in the fancy suit, return?”

The others all giggled and shushed each other by the table, their gazes fixed on poor Akihito who didn’t know what to say. Everyone knew his fixation on the guy, and some of them made fun of him because of it. They didn’t mean any wrong, just curiously edged themselves into the situation, cheering on Akihito to succeed something with the guy.

“No, he didn’t”, deadpanned the boy, then without a word spun around and started towards the stairs. He handled the situation like a brat, hurrying back behind the counter for fortress, but currently his patience and tolerance ran out of juice.

“You hurt him!” one of the girls scolded Mayu behind Aki’s back.

“He’s so fragile, of course he wouldn’t want to talk about it”, said another one.

Akihito’s desire to go back and defend the girl almost won over his act of fleeing, but he still hurried towards the stairs and descended to the ground floor quickly. They needed to fight this out between themselves, him being as a spectator wouldn’t have helped anybody. Probably his presence would have made the situation worse. _They’re teenagers, they can deal with it._

As he reached the counter, Akira passed him by, a cigarette already hanging in his mouth.

“I’m gonna catch a smoke, care for the shop, will ya?” he barked back and then disappeared behind the back door leading to the offices and the back alley of the shop.

“Sure”, replied Aki, a bit agitated.

With only the study group on the second floor, and the girls from before sitting on the front sun-terrace, the shop felt deserted. This time of the day they usually worked less, since lunch break already ended and the schools still held their last homeroom lessons. Mayu and her friends most probably skipped their last lecture and they’ll be severely scolded by their teacher tomorrow.

Akihito absentmindedly wiped the counter and the coffee machines, making sure they remained spotless and ready to be used. He tried to refrain himself from wandering back again into his dream world, his attempt mostly succeeding. He even prepared a Caramel Frappuccino for himself just to engage himself in some familiar movements.

As he wiped the top of the counter, his hand with the rag slipped and just slightly bumped into the tip jar. Said jar in the next moment tumbled to the ground, scattering coins all over the shop floor. He clumsily reached for it, trying to catch it still in th air, but the inevitable still happened, and soon the floor glinted with the light reflected by the coins.

“Fuck me”, muttered the boy angrily then exited the counter, and crouched to gather the change.

He systematically rounded the floor, fortunately without any disturbance from any of the guests, and only a handful of coins left scattered under one of the booths. He crawled closer, putting the jar onto the table, and smartly started to drop the remaining tip back into its place.

One of the hundred yen coins rolled so close to the wall that Akihito needed to spread his upper body almost completely onto the floor (while his ass pointed towards the ceiling,) just to reach it with his fingertips. He struggled, unconscious growling and whining noises exiting his throat, as he strained his body to its limit in length, and finally he could put his fingertip onto the coin, pulling it out from under the table, scraping it on the floor.

“I should definitely visit this place more often”, came a delighted, familiar voice from behind him.

His brain, in that exact moment, decided to shut down. He tried to buffer, to measure the situation, and however he saw it the happenings seemed comical. He was kneeling by one of the booths, his ass hanging in the air, pretty sexually to be honest, and a guest (and not just _any_ guest) walked in on him in a position like this.

_Oh dear God, please let the ground open up and swallow me whole._

The unbearably embarrassing seconds barely passed, Akihito still contemplated whether he should just simply run away and send Akira back in, but he knew from experience that the other boy didn’t like to be disturbed during his breaks, and usually acted really cranky if he needed to finish sooner than he planned to.

“It is a delight watching your perky behind, I won’t say it isn’t, but I’d like to place my order”, said the man, with smugness radiating from his tone.

_Of all the days, of all the fucking days, why did he have to return right now?!_

Akihito steeled himself, then slowly, and with all the grace he could gather in short seconds, rose back to his knees and dropped the last coin into the tip jar. He then stood up, his back still to the guy he was waiting for in the past few weeks, and robotically started back to the counter. He didn’t glance towards the man, only watched the floorboard in front of him. His face flushed bright red the moment the guy first spoke to him in his embarrassing position, and the heavy warmth still haven’t drained from his skin.

“What would you like to drink?” asked Akihito, his shame almost palpable.

“Do you usually avoid looking at your customers?” inquired the other man, his upper-handed attitude showing clearly.

“No, I don’t”, sighed Akihito, and he inched his glance up from to counter, to fix it on his guest.

He needed to look way more up than he expected. His senses welcomed the graceful creature right in front of him, his eyes memorizing every nook and canny of the man, his ears focusing on the soft baritone with the arrogant tone, and his nose filling up with citrus and sandalwood scents mixing together with expensive tobacco.

This man definitely just stepped out of one of Aki’s dreams, and the smirk on his face assured Akihito that the damn bastard himself also recognized the boy’s demeanour change.

“And what do you recommend for me to drink today?” addressed Asami the boy so nonchalantly, that Akihito felt an urge rise in him to slap the bastard.

“As you can see on the board”, he pointed instead above his head to one of the blackboards with chalk-written scribbles, “because of today’s hot weather we are experimenting with brand new elderflower and hibiscus flavoured iced teas. If you belong to the milk-lover club, then the new white vanilla chai latte is a great refreshment after a long day of work.”

The perfect bastard only slightly cocked his head to the left, and waited patiently for Akihito to finish his rant. His face formed an unreadable mask of indifference, and Akihito felt himself shrink under the strict gaze.

The silence stretched awkwardly between them.

“What? Did I say something wrong? Did I hurt the feelings of your ancestors with mixing hibiscus and elderflower?!” hissed the boy, because he already knew a lost battle when he saw one.

“No, I am only but contemplating whether you are such a chatter-box when you feel nervous, or simply the customer-service business is your forte”, answered the man truthfully.

Akihito’s baffled expression clearly shown on his face, because the almost-compliment surprised him.

“Well, never mind, I’m still interested in _your_ recommendation for today”, continued Asami, since Akihito still didn’t say anything.

This shook the boy back into the real world.

“As I have already mentioned…” he began, but the guy stopped him with his raised hand, like a teacher. Akihito’s war-flashbacks to high school painfully surfaced with this gesture.

“I have heard you perfectly clear, and you can recite the menu wonderfully”, offered Asami, “but I am interested in your personal recommendation for yours truly.”

“Oh.”

“I will ask you again: what do you recommend for me to consume on this wonderful day?” inquired the man again, amusement plastered all over his face.

“Well, I’m sure you realized, that 95% of my blood is Caramel Frappuccino”, he nodded towards the long-forgotten cup next to the cash register, “basically I always recommend it personally.”

His customer only hummed, then looked back up at the board above Aki’s head.

“I’m not overly fond of sweets”, he said finally.

“Yeah, I can see that you’re more of a sour guy”, flashed Aki a satisfied smile.

His smug smirk stayed on his face for about 1.4 seconds.

“Maybe I’d need someone sweet to pipe down my said sourness”, countered Asami, his finely maintained right eyebrow raised in an upper-handed attitude.

_Flirting with me during my working hours. Then he will neglect me again for weeks. Asshole._

Akihito only coughed nervously, letting the sentence fly away by a fresh breeze from outside. He won’t let the lying bastard get to him and throw him out of his work routine. He also won’t embarrass himself further. Today he already experienced a fair share of shame that could last for two weeks.

“Okay, I decided, I’ll mix you a Frappuccino, but instead the normal brew I’ll have an extra-strong one, with a spoonful of brown sugar and macadamia nut syrup”, explained Akihito, his mind already wandering with his next experiment. 

When the shop reached its slow hours during his shift, he took up the habit to create new and refreshing drinks that didn’t seem like ones stolen from other café-chains. This would be his first experience with stronger brew and less sugar, and his palpable excitement almost burst out of him.

Asami, seeing the boy’s childish excitement, tried to hide the mild smile that started to spread over his face, and failed miserably. Aki also saw his inner fight against showing his emotions, and felt just a tiny bit of success, seeing the man’s composed coldness crumble down.

Then off he went, absorbing himself into the art of drink-inventions, and after considering and reconsidering the amounts of ingredients, and taste-testing his work, he definitely felt proud of his creation.

“There you go”, he held out the cup to the other man on the other side of the counter, his fingers wiping away the condense on the side of the transparent plastic cup, “I hope you’ll like it!”

Asami didn’t show any intention to take it from him. Aki’s hand almost froze because of the excessive amount of ice blended into the drink.

“Now what?” he asked, his previous happiness draining out of him.

“Won’t you write my name on it?” countered the other man, his irritating head-cocking showing up again, now to the right.

“You’re the only customer here”, stated Akihito the obvious tiredly.

“And you’re still not serving me right”, replied Asami.

Aki only counted to ten slowly in his head, then erased the irritated frown from his face, and took up his professional smile. That’s true: however hard they flirted, they still needed to maintain a customer-server relationship.

“Would you kindly tell me your name?” asked Akihito, kindness towards a guest forced into his tone.

“Gladly”, responded the man jovially, “Ryuichi.”

“It’s different from the last time”, told the boy absentmindedly while writing the name with quick motions onto the side of the cup. Then he froze. 

Sometimes he could act like such an airhead, and his mouth spoke before he thought through the things he intended to say. His brain to mouth filter seemed to fail him in the most crucial times, mostly when he spoke with unbelievably hot strangers, who he’d been waiting for weeks now. _Way to go, Akihito._

Asami’s face didn’t show any kind of ridicule, or thought of Aki being an idiot, and it counted as a good point. Because sometimes he’d act like an idiot, and with Kai he countless times argued because of this bad habit.

“Well, I am certain that you possess the knowledge about Japan’s and the world’s naming habits. People usually have two names, one family name and one given name. And you see, Asami’s my family name while Ryuichi is my given name”, explained the guy patiently.

Akihito again felt the urge well up inside him to punch this smug asshole.

“Which reminds me”, the man continued casually, “I still don’t know your full name," he glanced down onto the embroidered name on the apron, " _Akihito_.”

In the next moment a group of three university girls wandered into the store, disturbing their give and take flirting. The intimate banter came to end soon, because the girls strolled towards the counter, and they already prepared their phones to take some candid shots of the fine specimen standing in front of them.

“Well, you’ll need to wait for that”, shrugged Akihito apologetically then handed the cup to Asami, placing his sharpie on the takeaway counter from his other hand.

The man already reached for his wallet in the inside pocket of his expensively tailored charcoal grey suit jacket, but Akihito grabbed his wrist, just above the cuff of the pure white linen shirt. The man looked at him with a question in his beautiful, now liquid ivy coloured eyes.

“It’s on the house”, smiled the boy naturally.

He slowly let go of the thick wrist that radiated power, and retreated back towards the cash register. He glanced one more time at the man, at _Asami Ryuichi_ , then turned towards the girls waiting for their turn to order.

Asami only smirked one more time then turned to leave, but didn’t move. In the end he still reached for his wallet, and brought out a card from one of its pockets. He grabbed a napkin from the nearby table, and with Aki’s forgotten sharpie scribbled something on it.

Then he walked out without a glance back.

When Akihito got to the napkin with the jet-black card attached to it, he almost jumped out of his skin. The shiny plastic card seemed to be a membership card to one of the most exclusive clubs in Shinjuku, and even in Tokyo. _Sion_.

He then read the short message on the napkin, and felt the world turn around him once.

_Drop by to play sometime. – A.R._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah also, I tried to make Asami speak fancily and not so casually, to show that what a refined man he is. I hope you won't mind it.
> 
> Till next time! :33


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello sweeties,
> 
> thank you so much for your supporting words and the kudos and everything. I'm glad you enjoy the story so much, I'm having fun myself as well while writing it.
> 
> I wanted to get down to business in this chapter, but the word-count just rushed past me, though we still have some good parts - if you know what I mean.
> 
> I'm sorry, I'm such a tease, haha.
> 
> Btw. I have some other Finder AU fic ideas, though I don't know when I'll have time to write them :)) so stayed tuned!
> 
> Hugs,  
> Nikó

Maybe Akihito somehow entered a parallel universe where divine interventions happened. He prepared himself mentally to struggle through weeks and weeks of interrogation regarding the return of Asami ( _Ryuichi_ , the name only he knew) and the next day he entered the coffee shop almost in battle-gear. His desire to share the news and details with his friends almost scared him, his thoughts about the chit-chat, the flirting and their banter remaining fresh and painfully teasing in his mind.

He also carried the black card everywhere he went. Maybe the card would disappear into thin air if he’d let it out of his sight for a second. His daily routine somehow welcomed the caring for the card into itself, him taking it to set it by the mirror in the bathroom when he got up in the morning, putting it into his pocket when he dressed up, and in work having it in the breast pocket of his apron right next to his notebook and sharpie.

The napkin found its place in one of his drawers, hidden under a pile of work shirts and pants. He definitely felt like a lovesick puppy with treasuring a freaking napkin with some sharpie scribbles. Okay, Asami’s writing did not count as scribbles – he somehow made perfect strokes even with the thick tip of the sharpie, leaving long, elegant symbols all over the white paper. It seemed that everything the man did almost compared to magic, his perfect being shining through.

_Maybe I shouldn’t start anything with him._

The thought, ever persistent, popped up in his head every now and then. There must be something utterly wrong with someone so charming and rich and perfect flirting with Akihito. Maybe his hobbies included seducing young boys and ritually sacrificing them, drinking their blood to stay young forever. Or maybe he took poor enchanted boys to an S&M club, and made them into submissive whores for the entertainment of the rich masses. 

_Oh God, what if he already has a collar for me?_

In any case, Asami’s interest seemed so wrong to him, because why in the world would someone so otherworldly show interest in a young brat like him, who worked in a café as barista. Asami visited at least one high-class club regularly ( _Sion_ ), and could afford the luxury to give his membership card to someone else. Most probably he has already gotten another one.

Akihito heard the rumours, almost _legends_ , about Sion. How the upper class of society regularly visited the place to participate at informal negotiations, and gain influence in other businesses, or even in politics. Besides the money of Tokyo gathering there, also idols and actors, models and singers, multibillionaires - all visited the club to bask in the limelights of wealth. He also heard that people order cocaine, LSD and any other party drugs in Sion, like they’d order a coke in a fast-food joint.

The thought scared him so much. Why and how did the rich gain the upper hand over the authorities to get away with these kinds of crimes? How could the world go so corrupt? He sometimes smoked weed, like any other youngster in their teens and twenties, but if the cops would get him, he sure as hell would get castrated by the law. The privileges of the ones with money terrified him to no end. These people could hire any assassin’s to deal with their rivals and they’d get out of the situation unscratched. Unbelievable.

And exactly how did Asami fit into the picture? He could have gotten information on the man, he knew some people from the police and in journalism, but he did everything not to jinx himself. Bursting his happy bubble of sweet not-knowing seemed terrifying, and the thought of letting Asami’s presence in his life go left his heart heavy, and his stomach sick. Also, if the man really belonged to the world of the rich, he could hire anybody to kidnap the boy and then rape him. Maybe he’d be able to end things peacefully if the cat gets out of the bag.

His thoughts rounded back to the card in his pocket, hidden behind the notebook. He so curiously fantasized about showing up at the club, parading around then seducing or letting be seduced. Sometimes he even dreamt of strobe lights and glinting amber eyes.

“I shouldn’t go to play”, sighed the boy, and raked through his dishevelled hair with his left hand.

“Did Kou forced you into playing in his football team again?” asked somebody from his right and the boy jumped with a meek sound of surprise.

“Rin! Holy shit, you startled me!” scolded the boy his friend. “Don’t creep up on people!”

The other boy just grinned, his green eyes glinting with mischief. With his height and baby face everyone thought that Rin’d be the most behaved in their group of baristas. They couldn’t have missed the mark more. Sometimes Rin seemed like a descendant of our Great Lord Satan, with his mischiefs framing their every day. Akihito, in the past four months already got used to the tricks of the younger boy, but still got the crap scared out of him sometimes. Sure, Rin never meant any harm and always remained between the set boundaries, never overstepping anybody’s patience.

“I wanna go play too!” chimed the boy noisily, and draped himself all over Akihito’s back.

Rin’s fangirls squealed and almost instantly started to take photos of the cute boy clinging to Aki. And Akihito let him cling, since he felt like a big brother all the time with his friend.

When he stepped into his teenage years, he imagined having a little sister or brother, the thought of pampering a younger sibling always warming his heart. But he remained an only child, mainly because of his parents’ decision, and never experienced being a role model for someone younger. That’s the reason he felt so fond of Rin, his adopted little brother.

“Oh, what’s this?” asked Rin, and Akihito felt the boys prying hands explore his breast pocket.

“NO!!” he shouted unconsciously, making heads turn towards them.

_Please, don’t pull the card out, please. Dear God, please, don’t let him._

Akihito’s prayer seemed in vain, since Rin’s pointing finger and thumb already enclosed the edge of the black plastic. He started to lift it out of the pocket, when Akira’s shout for the boy reached them from behind the counter.

“Oi, Rin! You bastard, you misspelled the word _macchiato_! How many damn times do I need to teach ya how to spell it?!” grumbled the boy, wiping the menu above the counter with a wet rag.

“Well, you wouldn’t have this problem if you’d never make me write the menu!” countered the boy.

Their heated exchanges seemed to be a popular banter to the fangirls, so sometimes they entertained them with a little argument. Thanks to this, their popularity remained the same, sometimes even ascending.

Akihito, thanking the sudden acting troupe practice, breezed away, to wipe one of the tables outside. Maybe he could play it off as a love letter, and being so upset because of it could be the defence of the identity of the admirer. They continuously received confessions in letter and in person as well, this wouldn’t be such a strange explanation.

When he returned behind the counter, the others already finished their play, and were discussing the upcoming birthday celebration for Jonah. They already planned to organize a surprise party, but still lacked a suitable place. And the weekend inched by slowly and steadily.

Rin ranted about renting one of the laser-tag fields in one of their favourite places, and they almost agreed on it, but it lacked the celebratory feeling since they frequented that place almost every week. The boy, immersed in thoughts, waved his hand over the place, telling how they should prepare billboards and placards, hire a stripper to jump out of a cake and everything else, when he successfully swiped the gift cards from their holder onto the floor.

“Rin, would you mind being careful when you’re working?” asked Akihito tiredly as he got out of the counter, and crouched to collect the cards.

“Sooorryyyyy”, primed the boy, his childish behaviour making everyone considering immediate forgiveness.

Akihito only shook his head, and grabbed one more card from the floor. The next moment somebody bumped into his back and he tumbled onto all fours, saving himself from falling face-first onto the floorboard.

His notebook, sharpie and _the card_ slipped out in one swift motion from his pocket for everyone to see. That freaking card even landed front side up, clearly showing the club’s name written on it. He didn’t dare to look at his friends, who instantly shut up.

He reached for the black card and tucked it back into his pocket, then plucked every other card from the floor and put them back to their places. He felt the burning gazes from his friends, filled with questions and pure curiosity.

Akira grabbed his left upper arm, and started to drag him towards the backdoor, Rin following right behind them.

“Oi, Jonah, take over for five minutes!” Akira shouted to the boy who lingered on the other end of the floor, speaking with some guests. The boy only shown a thumbs-up then returned into the heated discussion.

When the door of the changing room closed behind them, Akira let Akihito go, and an evidently happy grin formed on his perfect face. Rin excitedly jumped up and down beside him.

“Where did you get that membership card from, Aki?” inquired Akira, leaning closer to his friend.

“Uuuummm…” Akihito tried to force himself to lie, to tell something evident like he found it on the floor or on the street and wanted to take it back to the club as a lost and found item. Hell, he could even say that he saw someone parading with it and he simply stole it! Everything would have been better than admitting the truth, because he didn’t feel like telling his friends that Asami asked him out to the club to play.

“Did that guy give it to you? When he was here last week?” asked Akira again, his face only inches from Aki’s.

“What? Who?” jumped onto the bandwagon Rin. “That rich guy everyone was gossiping about two weeks ago??”

Akihito felt so flustered, his evident silence almost a confession.

“Yep, that’s him! They were flirting so freaking hard, I needed to come back here not to feel embarrassed!” explained Akira with enthusiasm, his finely trimmed bangs jerking around his face.

“Oh my God, it wasn’t _that_ embarrassing! And you could have come back to save me!” countered Akihito now somewhat angrily.

“You seemed to enjoy his attention, almost drooling all over the counter”, smirked the model with satisfaction. “So he invited you out to _Sion_ , man, you’ve found some rich prince charming!”

Akihito’s face flushed so read, he thought he was going to faint with fever.

“He found me, I didn’t search for him…” he muttered defeated.

“And you kept it a secret for a week! A week, Akihito!” remarked Rin. “You sure didn’t want us to know!”

“No, it’s… just…” he stuttered, trying to find an explanation. “Oh my God, stop grilling me, you assholes!”

The other two boy burst out laughing, hugging each other, shaking uncontrollably. They practised their parts so good, that their duo could interrogate everyone to admit any crime.

“We _need_ to go, and use this card!” Akira already reached into Aki’s pocket, and fished out the card, examining it. “Holy shit, it’s a platinum one!”

“ _We_ don’t need to do anything”, grumbled Akihito, “and what does it mean it’s a platinum one?”

Akira and Rin glanced at each other, a knowing look in their eyes. Then they turned back to Aki in unison and jumped at the boy to hug him close. Akira stroked his head, whispering soothing words into his ear; while Rin only hugged him tight and assured him that his onii-chan isn’t really that stupid that he seems like.

“Get the hell off of me, you pricks!” struggled Akihito in their deadlock hold.

“Oh, dear Takaba Akihito, we will let you into the wonders of big city life, starting with the different rankings of rich people stuff”, explained Akira whole-heartedly.

“You’re from freaking Hokkaido!” countered Akihito. “And why is a platinum card a big deal?!”

“You’ll get to know, but now we need to inform Takato and Kou to prepare themselves, because these bitches are going to _Sion_!” exclaimed Rin, and he was already dialling the others.

 

Yes, those _bitches_ indeed went to Sion. However hard Akihito tried to convince them to give up on the idea of entering a high-class rich men’s club, his friends did not waver. He felt sick to the stomach the whole way walking through the elite district of Shinjuku, feeling so out of place that he’d rather have crawled out of his skin.

Akira, for this occasion, made a deal with one of the stylists he knew from his work, and the guy gave them full access to one of the recent spring/summer shoot’s wardrobe. He made them swear on their family jewels that they will take care of the clothes, or else they’ll lose their manhood.

Akihito’s pants, the skinny black jeans Akira’s friend lent him, clung to his legs uncomfortably, almost suffocating his nether regions. The expensive white V-neck T-shirt looked ridiculous on him, the black vest helping the situation a tiny bit. His studded boots felt so wrong and in general he thought everyone judged him or laughed at his appearance.

When they saw the simple, but prestigious exterior of the club, Akihito started again babbling about going to another place, anywhere else, anywhere where he did not need to meet Asami to make it clear for him that Akihito’s person bored the hell out of him. The mortifying chance of rejection seeped into his thoughts, making it so much harder for him to walk up to the club.

The security guard only glanced at them from the corner of his eyes and didn’t even recognise their being there. Maybe he thought that they’d leave if he ignores them. Akihito definitely hoped that his friends would give up after the first trace of ignorance from a whole other society, but they only pushed Aki in front of them to show the membership card to the big guy in black, tailored suit.

He fumbled with the card in his rear pocket then gave it to the guard, who’s surprised face evidently shown his disbelief. Akihito could sympathize: he knew how ridiculously it seemed that these six brats received invitation to this place. They shuffled towards the entrance, when another guy with a clipboard appeared in front of them, and asked for their membership card. Of course he also wore an expensive suit with leather shoes, his appearance radiating superiority.

The man wrote something on his clipboard, most probably the number of the card, then lead them through a padded door. As their merry group of youthfulness entered the floor, the guests at the nearby tables silenced and followed them with their eyes. Akihito felt the intense gazes from the definitely belonging guests and tried to shrink into himself, not letting any of his weaknesses shoving.

They were lead towards the end of the floor, inching closer to another door. The surprised gasps coming from the nearby tables’ guests shown them that something was off. They still followed through the mahogany door and stepped into a more eloquent, more quiet and intimate floor, where in only just two glances they saw three members of the Japanese diet, Himeno Aya, a famous Japanese supermodel, and his idol boyfriend. Latter two already seemed under the influence of some party drugs, and in the corner of Aya’s nose an evident patch of white powder glinted.

“You haven’t seen anything”, told them the guy with the clipboard.

“Definitely not”, answered Akihito hurriedly, glancing at the others to see them nod.

The aweing faces of his friends somehow lightened his burdening thoughts, letting him enjoy the situation a little bit more. The elegant interior, the dim lighting and the tinted glass walls provided a sense of intimacy and security for the guests, and the place still kept its nightclub status. From behind the door on their right they heard the dim _thud thud thud_ of club music, the deafening shockwaves only radiating pulses to the secure VIP hall.

The clipboard-guy escorted them forward, to a private booth with tinted glass walls, and informed them, that the card’s owner covered their consumption for the night. Then he left without another word.

“Oh… my… GOD! I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE HERE!!!!” squealed Rin excitedly, sitting down on one of the white leather sofas.

The others only stood there, looking at each other with unbelieving expressions on their faces. Aki could decipher that none of them imagined they’d really get into the place, and even in one of the freaking VIP booths. _Holy shit._

“He definitely knew that you’d come with your friends”, said Takato then took one of the expensive-looking menus to check out the drinks, “Holy shit!”

“What?” asked Kou excitedly, grabbing one of the menus himself. “Jesus!”

The place seemed to be so expensive that one bottle of a champagne cost almost as much as Aki’s rent for two months. They definitely shouldn’t have come.

“Well, we’re on his tab”, shrugged Akira, and reached for a menu, “clever bastard, it’s like he’s bribing the parents of the bride.” He looked at Akihito meaningfully.

“The what of the who?!” squeaked Akihito outraged.

Suddenly a pretty girl entered their booth, a tray in her hands, holding six flutes of champagne. She put the tray down onto the mahogany coffee table then exited without a word. The boys only glanced at the place she disappeared at, flabbergasted. The first one to reach for a drink, the always-brave Akira, held out his flute towards the ceiling, preparing for a toast. Slowly every one of them joined him, their flutes in the sky, cheering.

 

After every one of them (except Akihito) drank their fair share of fine liquor, they decided in unison to visit the dance floor to enjoy the exclusive DJ for the day. The music seemed to be the same in every club, since the same songs played in their favourite third class bar as well. But the environment, and the beautiful people surrounding them somehow gave them a special feeling that they couldn’t really explain.

Akihito gave up his reserve and let the music take over his senses. He enjoyed dancing, enjoyed the crowd being one big mass, pulsing and vibrating to the beats of the music. He closed his eyes, and could almost imagine being in any of the clubs in Tokyo, even in Fukuoka. Music and crowds acted the same everywhere.

He could have lost himself in the crowd, enjoying the night only dancing and prancing with his friends, when someone tapped on his shoulder. He spun around, and a waitress with a tray stood there, pointing to the boy to follow him. Akihito glanced at his friends who enjoyed either each other’s or other guests’ company, then obediently followed the girl towards the door they entered the dance floor.

They walked in silence to the bar of the VIP room, where an already familiar man sat with a tumbler filled with amber liquid in one hand. Akihito automatically retreated into his safe shell, pointing his glance towards the floor. Asami was fucking sexy. He sat there so nonchalantly, and morphed perfectly into the expensive interior. Akihito once more questioned the man’s interest in him.

“Glad you came”, started Asami, and signalled to the bartender for another drink.

“Thank you for your invitation”, bowed Akihito slightly to the man, his gaze fixed on the leather loafers in front of him.

“And you’re still not looking me in the eye”, commented the man, “Am I that frightening?”

Akihito bit down on his bottom lip, slowly exhaling. However hard he tried to prepare himself mentally, Asami would make his resolves and ideas crumble down with only a slight movement of his eye.

“Of course not”, he shook his head self-consciously, “it’s just that I’m so out of place and you’re like…”

“Like what?” the satisfied smile gave a rich colour to Asami’s tone.

“You’re not gonna make me say it”, hissed Akihito, and finally sat down onto the bar stool next to Asami’s.

“Let’s forget about me, _Akihito_ ”, the way he said his name, the way it naturally rolled down from his tongue, it all made Akihito shiver, “I waited for almost two weeks for you to come by, how will you reward my patience?”

_Oh my God, he’s already starting it. I’m so not prepared!_

“You can have a drink on the house again?” joked Akihito, trying to organize his thoughts.

Asami only smirked, his eyes glinting with animalistic desires in them. He slowly sipped from his whiskey on the rocks, pointing at Aki’s champagne flute with his fingers.

“I already had enough for today”, said the boy with feverish warmth seeping into his face, “though I appreciate the intention.”

“Oh, no, _Akihito_ , you’re not appreciating my intentions yet”, shook his head Asami, then put his tumbler hardly onto its coaster, a new resolve written on his face, “I’ll mix you something to pay you back and get on equal footing.”

“No!” Akihito gasped, grabbing Asami’s upper arm. The muscles under the fabric twitched with excitement because of the touch from the boy.

The older man looked at him with amusement, his perfect lips quirking into a sexy and leisure smile. He grasped Akihito’s hand and slowly pried it from him.

“I don’t think the owner would be happy if you’d strutted into the bar and started to mix your own drinks”, protested Akihito, his hand still clutched in Asami’s warm grasp.

“I think I’ll talk it out with him”, smiled the man and slowly let go of his hand.

The skin where they contacted still burned with the touch of the man, and Akihito’s mind screamed and shouted and cursed for him to get away right at that point or he’d be eaten alive during the night.

Asami shook off his expensive suit jacket, and neatly folded it onto the barstool he sat at only moments before. He slowly started to walk towards the countertop where he could enter to the other side of the bar. During his walk he casually unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and tugged his sleeves above his elbows.

“It’s a novelty being the one behind the counter opposite you”, said the man when he stood right in front of the flustered Akihito.

“Welcome to my life”, shrugged the boy then glanced at the wall of expensive drinks behind the man.

“So, what would you like to order?” asked Asami, waiting patiently for Akihito to decide.

“To be honest, I’m not that big of a drinker, so I’m not really familiar with mixed drinks”, he frowned, “usually three-four shots of sake and two beers give me a pleasant night.”

Asami only rolled his eyes, then changed strategy.

“What are the drinks you absolutely refuse to drink?”

“Anything with herbs, I guess”, mused Akihito, skipping through his list of not-to-drink, “and to hell with vodka because it gives me a freaking hangover even if it’s just one shot!”

Asami only grinned at the boys comment, reaching for a cocktail glass shaped as a tumbler. He grabbed the shaker and opened it up, putting the two sides in front of himself. He started to shovel ice into the shaker, entirely immersed in the next tasks preparation. He grabbed three different bottles from the shelf of drinks and started to pour them into the shaker, drenching the ice in alcohol. He then grabbed two limes from the basket on his right and rolled them on the counter, slicing them in half the next moment. He squeezed both fruits’ juice into the mix, and threw the empty peels into the trash on the other end of the bar. The next step seemed to be something sweet added into the drink, because a bottle of denser red liquid came out from under the bar.

“Strawberry syrup”, explained Asami and pointed the tip of the glass towards Akihito to have him take a whiff. Indeed the sweet, almost nauseating scent filled his nose immediately.

“Please don’t make me throw up”, pushed the other man’s hand away the boy, his fingers lingering longer on the other’s skin than necessary.

“Don’t worry, my place has exquisite bathrooms”, countered Asami, then he went off to the other end of the counter, to get something out of the fridge under it. He poured the contents of the aluminium can into the mix as well, then clasped the top of the shaker into its place and squeezed it tight.

“I’d love to see you throwing that thing around”, joked Akihito, feeling lighter than any other time during the past few hours.

“Here comes the performance of the night”, answered Asami casually, then the shaker flew up in the air, spinning with an enormous speed. The man caught it mid-air, rolling it up on his muscly arm, then back down, then dropping it behind his back and sending it flying up in the air again.

Akihito couldn’t contain his childish joy, watching the man juggling the shaker around, and unconsciously started to giggle during the performance. Asami, with a wide grin plastered all over his handsome face, threw the shaker one more time around, then unscrew its top and poured the well-mixed drinks into the already prepared glass. He threw some slices of lime on top of it and finished it off with a straw.

“There you go, Akihito”, held out the man the glass towards the still giggling boy.

“Won’t you write my name on it?” cocked Aki his head to the side, and Asami’s rumbling laughter filled the room.

Some of the guests seemed dumbstruck and offended, their intense gazes fixed on Akihito. They knew the man behind the counter: they knew that he ruled over more than half of Tokyo’s and Japan’s underworld, and for him to laugh so whole-heartedly this boy must have been something.

“Shit, everyone’s staring”, gulped Akihito with embarrassment, and hid his face behind his palms.

“Just ignore them, they’re most probably jealous of the good time you have”, nudged Asami Aki’s hand with the cocktail glass, “Drink up, Akihito!”

“How do I know that you didn’t drug it?” asked the boy cheekily.

“That’s the point”, explained Asami slowly, with an expression of a predator on his face, “You don’t.”

Aki reached for the glass, his fingers briefly brushing Asami’s hand, and took the reddish drink from the makeshift-bartender. He cautiously smelled the drink, the nauseating sweet smell already mixing with the strong scent of liquor. He unconsciously liked his upper lip, and glanced at Asami, who intensely stared at him. His self-conscious behaviour started to return, his cheeks blooming with red because of the weight of the gaze from the other man.

The first sip of the cocktail was somewhat fruity, the strawberry syrup mixing with (the finally identified) taste of energy drink then at the end the alcohol kicked in. He felt the numbing of his tongue and inside of his mouth, the alcohol’s strong effect taking over his tasting senses.

“It’s surprisingly good”, gaped the boy, “How?”

Asami smirked in satisfaction and leaned closer to Akihito, his strong arms supporting his weigh on the counter.

“I worked in a bar during my university years”, he whispered. Akihito, at this point, felt certain that Asami could feel the heat radiating from him: their faces remained so close, their cheeks almost brushing each other.

Akihito leaned back on his barstool, drink in his hand and straw in his mouth, and slowly sipped the cocktail. He unconsciously chewed the straw, because his nervousness took over his mind and drove him into a corner. He didn’t know whether he prepared himself mentally enough to have something with Asami. Maybe the man only wanted to woo him for a fuck for a night, and that’s all. And the idea of it made Akihito so heartbroken, that he almost started to weep in the middle of the high-class club. Sure, he prepared for the chance that he’d indeed be a one-night stand for the man, but the thought still hurt so much.

When he came to, Asami was already back to his normal form, suit jacket on, shirt buttoned till the top, and his hand rested on the small of Aki’s back. He beckoned towards the end of the VIP room, in the direction of empty private booths. Akihito only followed him in a daze, the place where Asami touched him burning through his clothes, almost scorching his skin. He wouldn’t be surprised if his skin got branded by the man’s hot fingers.

They walked in behind the glass wall, Akihito tightly holding onto his drink, not to fail a step. Asami guided them toward the sofa on the other end, waiting patiently for Akihito to sit down. Aki fixed his gaze on the carpet, his mind racing a thousand miles per hour, because he could almost feel the indecent things that could happen in such a secluded area. To his surprise he didn’t feel the sofa deepen next to him, but the other end of it. He looked up at Asami, the man sitting far away, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

“I hope you enjoy your time here”, said the man casually, lighting his cigarette with an engraved lighter that seemed expensive, and solid silver.

“Yes, very much”, nodded the boy slowly, the alcohol already messing with his head, “Thank you so much for the invitation.”

They sat in silence for a minute, Akihito’s mind racing with possible topics to discuss, just to break the heavy silence that filled with electricity from their evident attraction. The alcohol made his behaviour loose, his imagination running wild. In his mind he was already kneeling in front of the man, stroking and lapping his massive cock with his relatively skilful tongue, with his own shaft painfully erect in his jeans.

“Shit, I’m drunk”, exhaled the boy slowly, putting his glass down on the table, “I should get some water, because I’m definitely irritating when I’m drinking.”

Asami only tapped on his cigarette, the burnt ash dropping into an ashtray on the arm of the sofa. Akihito looked at the man, their gazes meeting, and Asami’s beautiful and dangerously secretive eyes captivated him, suffocated him, and rendered his every thought to shut themselves up and give into his animalistic instincts. The other man slowly butt out his cigarette and but the ashtray back onto the table.

“Come here, Akihito”, said Asami, his arrogantly superior behaviour seeping through his words.

_Who the fuck cares? He’s gonna fuck me tonight and that’s all._

Akihito, leaving every last ounce of his dignity behind, crawled over to Asami’s side of the sofa, his nose filling up with the smell of expensive tobacco, and Asami’s scent. The sandalwood, the citrus, the tobacco, they all present provided that perfect manly smell that brought Akihito to the edge of his mind.

Asami’s knuckles lightly brushed Aki’s left cheekbone, sending shivers through the boy’s body. He leaned into the touch, almost purring because the large hand cupped his cheek, and the other man’s thumb stroked his lower lip, the tip of it slowly slipping into his mouth.

“Come closer, _Akihito_ ”, ordered Asami, waiting for Aki’s next move. The boy knew that the man waited for him to sprawl himself all over him, and his drunken persona thought that the idea deserved at least a Nobel Prize.

_Oh, fuck it._

He climbed onto the sofa, on all fours, and placed his knees on both side of Asami’s right leg, half-straddling the man. His hands rested on the broad chest, the slow and steady _thump thump_ radiating into his palm. Even the bastard’s heartbeat shown his collected composure, and Akihito felt so desperately idiotic, because his heart raced, his head spun and his composure crumbled from moment to moment.

Finally, Asami’s hand, that cupped his cheek, slowly crawled to the nape of his neck, and started to pull the boy closer to him, making Akihito sprawl out on his broad chest. He steadily inched themselves closer, but in the last second stopped, and a slow smirk spread onto his face. It seemed he enjoyed every little second of torture of poor, horny Akihito.

And in that moment Akihito lost it. He looked into the fierce eyes, and knew that he only meant to be a plaything, a quick fuck for a tired businessman, and he intended to go all out, because this one and only chance won’t come ever again.

His arms encircled Asami’s neck and he closed the distance between their lips. He didn’t waste a second, and already opened his mouth, ready for the other man’s invading tongue to entangle with his. Indeed, Asami immediately took over the leading, his steady, and thorough exploring sending shivers of pleasure all over the boy’s body. He tasted like tobacco and whiskey, but so sweet and delicious, that Akihito could live his life only with this delicacy till the end.

Asami’s hand wandered down on Aki’s back, his fingers drawing slow circles through the T-shirt, and then cupped the boy’s butt firmly. Akihito gasped at the suddenness of the act, but Asami’s slow fondling made him relax again. So much time has passed since he last had sex, and even more since he last enjoyed it truly. He felt his cock slowly starting to wake up, his boxer shorts and the tight jeans feeling like a prison.

Asami’s next attack of mass seduction started when he started to slowly rub his thigh between Aki’s legs, stimulating his manhood even more. Akihito already felt overwhelmed, his alcohol-induced brevity taking the best of him. He moaned into their kisses, his tongue already strained and tired, his lips definitely red from the long kisses.

He started to rub himself against Asami’s muscly thigh, increasing the friction of his crotch with the man’s leg, and his moan slipped into the stillness of the booth. He felt the other man smile, then one of Asami’s finger slipped under the tight hem of his jeans, teasing just under the dimples on the small of his back.

“Oh, fuck”, he gasped, as Asami started to nibble on his jawline, licking and sucking on the sensitive skin just under the bone.

_I’m in so much trouble._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm such an asshole, ending it at the good part, but the next chapter will contain what you came here for, you naughty ones! Or will it? Hahaha
> 
> Comments are welcomed and appreciated, and also you can spread the world to your fellow Finder fan friends :333
> 
> Oh and if you're wondering, Asami mixed a Speed for Aki :DD


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey cuties!
> 
> Today's the day you get the wonderful continuation of the previous situation. I only had a handful of attempts to write smut scenes, so I'm really sorry if it's not that good.
> 
> If you have tumblr, I'm glad to inform you, that I'm gonna use "Caramel Frappuccino fic" as my tag for infos and whatever, so please use it freely as well :)) also if you'd like to add me, I'm running the blog _the-infamous-nicole-washington.tumblr.com_
> 
> Thank you for your support and the wonderful comments, I'm always so glad to work on this story!
> 
> Hugs

When Akihito came to, he was heavily grinding himself against Asami. His crotch burnt like a hot core that needed to free itself from its restraints. His hazy mind hardly comprehended the happenings, the only thing that mattered in his world were the skilful hands of Asami Ryuichi, teasing and pleasuring his body all over, and the man’s tongue that traced wet lines all over his jaw and neck, right till the hem of his V-neck t-shirt.

He slipped his hand into the man’s lush jet-black hair, the fingers entangling in and enjoying the softness. He needed to bit down on his lower lip not to let his moans get out into the steadiness of the room. The far away _thud thud thud_ of the music wouldn’t cover such obscene sounds - at least he thought it wouldn’t.

“You have a nice voice, Akihito”, whispered Asami in his ear teasingly, and slid his fingers under Akihito’s t-shirt to stroke his spine.

Akihito didn’t have anything else in his mind, only the sheer will to keep his quiet, and not to make more of an ass of himself. Thought the constant teasing, nibbling, licking and stimulating, Asami’s whole routine started to kick him out of his composure.

“I’m not that drunk to let you fuck me here”, hissed the boy finally, collecting all sanity he had left.

“And I don’t intend to do such indecent things to you where everyone can walk in on us”, cocked his eyebrow Asami, “I don’t want anyone else seeing you spread out and fucked mindless”, he tenderly grabbed Akihito’s chin, and kissed the boy again.

_I’m not gonna survive if he dumps me._

Akihito, more than anything, wanted to believe that this relationship could go somewhere, but he needed to keep himself from burning his hands again. He fucked it up so much with falling for Kai so soon, and then the other boy lead him by the nose throughout their whole relationship. He shouldn’t get head over heels for some random rich guy who flirted with him for twenty minutes tops.

And still, here he sat, straddling the man, letting him spoil him rotten with his sexy smirk and rich-coloured eyes, and he still planned to go on forward, till the end of the night. His drunken mind thought that this could turn out well, his pretty dreamland’s gates opening right in front of his face. Well, if not, he would still get a pretty decent fuck.

Asami’s palms slowly crept back onto the boy’s bottom, fondling the softness with calculated motions, his thumbs teasing his crack through the fabric of the jeans. 

“Are you gay?” asked Akihito suddenly, and the surprised expression that rose on Asami’s face because of the question, was hilarious.

“Isn’t it a bit late asking it now?” answered the man with a question, after gathering his composure in 0.5 seconds.

Akihito didn’t reply, only rested his hands on Asami’s nape of neck, and leaned in to kiss the man again. Their tongues got so used to the other’s, like they were made for each other. It seemed like they found their long lost halves – probably thanks to Asami’s unbelievable skills.

_God, how many people have he kissed like this so far?_

Akihito only shook his head, and concentrated on the task before him. It wouldn’t make any good for him to think about unnecessary things, like Asami’s previous partners and experiences, the people he already spoiled in bed and in many other ways.

“Can we get out of here?” he asked the question that popped into his mind, because with some fresh air and some walking he could clear his thoughts. Maybe he’d even have a chance to collect himself from his drunken indecency.

“And where would you like to go, Akihito?” teased Asami, his hands slipping back on Aki’s waist, his thumbs drawing slow circles.

“Anywhere but my place”, shrugged the boy, because he knew that he wouldn’t live through the teasing if his friends found out he got himself laid by his _prince charming_.

 _I’m gonna fucking kill all of them for calling Asami like that because now I can’t forget it, crap, crap, CRAP!_ Aki’s jumbled thoughts circled inside his head, and he needed to close his eyes, and bury his face into Asami’s suit jacket, just to hide his embarrassment.

Then he tried to push himself from the man, collecting the crumbled remains of his dignity, and he almost fell face-first onto the floor. He kneeled in the same position for almost half an hour and now his legs went numb. Luckily, Asami grabbed his arm and kept him in a half-standing, half-slumping position.

The shame almost made him wish to die, because Asami sure thought he was so drunk out of his mind he couldn’t even stand.

“Should I carry you?” asked the other man, letting go of Aki’s upper arm, after making sure he could stand on his own.

“No, I’ve just got cramps because of the kneeling and supporting”, shook his head the boy, his already rose-coloured cheeks flushing in to beet red.

“Oh, I planned so much more kneeling and supporting for tonight”, commented Asami leisurely, and Aki couldn’t get any redder even if he tried.

Asami, satisfied with Akihito’s embarrassment, put his hand back on the boy’s butt, and started to lead him out of the private booth. Aki thought they were going to leave through the same door they entered, but Asami only guided him towards the door on the end of the VIP room: the one they saw when they entered from the other, commoners hall.

Asami swiped a card in front of a sensor then the door opened with a beep and click. As he walked through the threshold, Akihito saw that the door and its frame glinted with thick, metallic materials, probably bulletproof ones. So they entered the heart of the goldmine.

Though the corridor they walked into seemed so simple, and not so grandiose as the interior of the halls, he knew that the security meant great money was present. Asami guided him through the labyrinth of the back of the building, they hardly ever meeting anybody on their way out, and those people all averted their eyes when they encountered them.

Finally, after turning right for at least the hundredth time, they reached another massive door, that seemed to be similar to the one from the VIP hall. Asami stopped, grabbing Akihito’s shoulder as well, and looked around impatiently. 

Akihito felt a bit nervous, his mind unconsciously writing next morning’s headlines about finding the dead, mutilated body of a young man in his twenties, without his organs. He easily could become aforementioned dead body, because what the hell did he know about Asami Ryuichi? Maybe it wasn’t even his freaking name! Maybe he just seduced young boys for their organs, not really caring about blood types, because on the black market every organ finds a new body quickly. His liver easily could end up, in less than two days, in a Mexican drug lord, and his friends and parents would never know.

_Crap, I’m imagining things!_

Asami stepped closer to him, gently pushing the boy to the cold metal of the door and kissing him again. His technique seemed so well practiced: just enough teasing and exploring, just the right amount of freedom given to the other party, and if hesitancy came up, he took over the lead again.

His hand sneaked down between them, his palm ending up rubbing against Aki’s erect cock through his jeans. The sudden pleasure took Akihito’s breath away, Asami’s fondling just teasing him enough to lose his mind. He draped his arms around the man’s neck, and pulled him closer to have more access and lead in their kiss. Of course he lost after making out for a massive two minutes, almost collapsing onto the floor because of lack of oxygen in his system.

“Asami-sama, I apologize for making you wait”, chimed someone hurriedly in their activity. Akihito gasped in surprise.

Asami didn’t really care about the sudden intrusion; he still leisurely sucked on Aki’s neck, leaving a massive kiss-mark on the boy’s fair skin. He’ll pretty sure need to wear a collared shirt or a band-aid over it. And he will be teased for it till the end of his life, but at least the end of next month. His friends won’t let him live through this incident. His friends! _CRAP!_

“I need to… talk to my… friends”, he stuttered between the stifled moans caused by Asami’s skilled hand still palming his painfully enclosed erection.

“I am convinced they’ll be able to decipher the situation”, replied Asami quickly, and finally let his teasing hand on Akihito’s crotch go.

He turned his gaze towards the intruder, his stoic face forming into a light frown. The guy just stood there, his gaze locked with Asami’s. As Aki paid a little more attention to his surroundings he realized, that it was the guy with the clip-board, the one who lead them to the VIP booth.

“Kirishima, we will talk about this incident”, ordered Asami quickly, the glasses guy never budging. 

“Of course, Asami-sama”, bowed the man obediently, “Suoh is already waiting with the car.”

Asami nodded slightly, then pried Akihito off of the door where he was still plastered on, Asami’s body not ever letting him to move an inch away from the cold metal of it. He guided the boy between the other man and him, then the guy with the glasses ( _Kirishima, was it?_ ), opened the door with a similar card Asami swiped in the VIP room, and stepped out into the fresh, cool night of Shinjuku.

Behind the club, in the secured parking lot a silver coloured sedan, with already purring motor, stood just five steps from the end of the set of stairs they were standing atop. Kirishima hurried forward, skipping the steps with practice, and tore the car’s door open for Aki and Asami to sit in the back seat.

“I wish you a pleasant night, Asami-sama”, bowed glasses-guy before he closed the door after Asami, and strutted back into the building.

They didn’t even wait for the back door of the club to close fully, they already drove out of the parking lot, a massive blond guy posing as the chauffeur. He didn’t need any orders where to go, so he most probably knew their direction.

And then Akihito realized that Asami never mentioned where they’d go, he only lead him out the back door to a car that could go anywhere and he’d only know the destination when they arrive. What was it his parents always told him? Something about not getting into a stranger’s car. He crossed the line already, and to boot he even drank till he couldn’t walk straight. He definitely screamed with his act _“Hey gut me, I have nice organs and little to no coordination to defend myself!”_

Asami’s hand found his crotch again, and started to rub him, the man himself leaning closer to him, and sucking on his left earlobe. His other hand cradled his shoulder, squeezing the boy close to his chest. Then he forced Aki’s head to turn into his direction, and caught the boy’s lips again, blowing his mind away with an earth-shattering kiss.

“I could get addicted to this”, growled Asami into Aki’s ears, licking and sucking on the shell.

_You’re not the only one._

They drove through the district, seeing the crowd tumbling through the streets, drinking, laughing and chatting noisily. But nobody saw them behind the tinted glass of the car; their indecent petting getting out of hand pretty quickly.

Asami’s skilled fingers swiftly clicked Aki’s belt buckle open, and unbuttoned his pants, letting the zip slowly slip down. The fingers sneaked past the hem of his boxers, exploring the soft silky hair just below the waistband of the boxer, crawling towards his freed cock that finally was able to stand at full attention. Asami experimentally stroked Aki’s cock, and the boy’s gasp filled the car, letting the driver also know what is happening on the back seat exactly.

“Let out your voice, Akihito”, smirked Asami, his hot breath brushing Aki’s face.

He gently clutched the boy’s hard-on, and started to pump the shaft with a steady rhythm, his thumb occasionally circling the head, or teasing the slit. With his other hand he still kept Akihito’s head captive, the boy’s ragged heavy breathing mixing into their passionate kisses, filling the air with gasps and moans.

Akihito, even though took care of himself pretty recently, and to boot thinking about Asami, was about to burst any minute, because he felt like he walked into a perfect dream. The man he was drooling over for the past month currently jerked him off in the leather back seat of a luxurious car, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, and kissing him so perfectly that he could almost climax just thinking of it.

Asami kissed him one more time, the kiss lasting for an eternity, then he slowly started to trace kisses down the boy’s jaw and neck, returning to the previous point where he sucked the kiss mark. He licked and teased the sensitive skin, dipping his tongue lower and lower, sending shivers through the boy’s body. He sank his face toward’s his chest, and when he first bit Aki’s nipple through the thin fabric of his t-shirt, the boy almost cried out. Of course, because of his already worked up body, he became more and more sensitive, his nipples standing hard and full, waiting for Asami to bask them in his full attention.

“If… if you… continue th… this…” stuttered Akihito, his teeth gritted tightly, fighting against his up-building first climax.

His pre-cum already dripped steadily down on his length, making it easier for Asami to stroke him, slippery skin on slippery skin slowly working him towards an orgasm.

“Yes, Akihito?” asked Asami feigning innocence, looking up at the boy’s face with his molten gold coloured eyes.

“I’m… gonna…” his heavy breathing stopped him, Asami’s faster pace and the teasing of his nipples stealing his words away effectively.

A breathless moan escaped his mouth, he couldn’t help it, as his head fell back onto Asami’s right arm, and his eyes screwed shut. He was on the verge of his climax, and he fought against bursting with all of what he’s left. He didn’t want to soil the expensive interior of the car.

“You’re such a naughty boy, dripping so much onto the leather of my car”, teased him Asami, and to boot the happenings, the man licked a trail of pre-cum from his palm then returned the skilful hand onto the boy’s twitching, red cock.

“Come!!” hissed Akihito, his insides constricting, his mind emptying. Asami only made the boy turn his head towards him, and kissed him again with much vigour, pumping the boy’s almost bursting cock more frantically, making him come, swallowing Akihito’s pleasured moans and gasps.

The next moment, against all of his will, Aki’s pearly white cum shot out, soiling the back of the driver’s seat, slowly trickling down on the cream coloured leather. Asami slowed his pace, letting the boy ride out his orgasm, and supporting his crumbling figure half-draped over his chest.

He took the neatly folded, patterned handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit jacket, and wiped his hand dry from the boy’s semen. Then he tucked Akihito’s still half-erect cock back into the boy’s pants and caressed his flushed face lightly with his fingertips.

“Oh Akihito, we are going to spend one wonderful night together”, he smirked more to himself than to the boy.

Akihito only reached up to stroke the man’s strong jawline, leaning towards him to beg for another kiss. He tried to let the previous sentence fly past him, because the words proved the fact that he suspected: he’ll only be a one-night stand. The stabbing pain made it harder to breathe for him and the tears already started to well up in his eyes.

The car started to slow, and then they drove underground, probably to the garage of Asami’s living complex. Aki hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings for a while now so he didn’t know where they ended up. He will get to know it eventually when he’ll need to scram in the morning, because the one-night fuck was over.

 

When his back hit the thick mattress, Akihito gasped for air that was quickly stolen from him by Asami’s tender kisses. His t-shirt lay somewhere on the bedroom floor, his jeans dangling by his ankles and Asami seemed to want to lick every nook and canny of the boy’s body. He already trailed a straight line from the boy’s collarbone to his navel with kiss marks, licking and sucking the skin, preparing the evidence for him to remember their night together.

“Shouldn’t we take a shower?” asked Akihito between gasps, because even though he took a shower before going to the club, during dancing he got a little sweaty.

“I can’t wait till you shower, but we can go in together if you don’t mind…?” replied Asami hurriedly, than he dipped his tongue into Aki’s navel, making the boy shriek.

“Don’t do it, it’s disgusting!” laughed the boy, and tried to push the man’s head away, making him lower his face to his crotch.

Asami didn’t hesitate, he slowly licked Akihito’s bulge through the fabric of his boxer, then gently chomped, teased the boy’s half-erect cock. He then bit down on the waistband of the boy’s boxers and started to pull them off, down on the milky white thighs, bony knees and lean ankles, tossing them aside together with the pair of jeans.

Akihito felt self-conscious and embarrassed, lying there in nothing, while Asami was still fully dressed. He sat up, and crawled towards Asami, pushing him onto his back, straddling him. Unbuttoning his shirt felt like a trial to Akihito, fumbling with the little buttons nervously, with Asami’s intense stare burning his skin. When he finally succeeded with his task, he grinded his now full erection to Asami’s still clothed bulge, feeling the massive cock also straining against the fabric.

Akihito tried to imitate Asami’s way of comforting him, tracing kisses, and licking the soft skin. He glanced up at Asami who only curiously watched the boy’s act. Aki only shook his head, then retreated, crawling lower on the man, the crotch right in front of his face. He kneeled awkwardly, Asami’s right thigh between his legs, his butt pointing towards the ceiling.

As far as he could tell, at least he could give head in a decent way. Well, nobody ever complained to him, and everyone climaxed in the end. He gulped, his stomach a twitching ball of nervousness, then reached to unbutton Asami’s pants. The man’s hand suddenly landed on his head startled him, not expecting it.

“With your teeth” ordered Asami, and his smirk was back.

_You indecent asshole._

Akihito lowered his mouth to the hem of the pants, his nose rubbing against the trail of hair starting from Asami’s navel, leading downwards into his pants. Not surprisingly, this trail of sexiness was also well groomed, like any other part of its owner, making Akihito crave the body in front of him more and more.

“I thought you’d have a tattoo”, wondered Akihito, his tongue stroking right above the pant’s hem.

“I’m all for natural beauty”, replied Asami, amused, his eyes trailing the line of Akihito’s back, up to his perky ass pointing obscenely upwards.

Aki lowered his head again, this small talk somehow reviving his brevity, and he quickly undid the button of the pants with his tongue, then bit down onto the zipper and opened it slowly. Pulling down the man’s underwear with the pants proved a bit more difficult than he expected, though a moment later Asami’s erect cock almost slapped him in the face.

“I think I’ll need the bigger mouth”, commented Aki, only half-joking, eyeing the member in front of him.

Now, as he looked at the whole picture, the neatly trimmed hair starting from Asami’s navel almost seemed like an arrow pointing down to the huge, red cock with the popped veins and indecently perfect shape. These types of cocks are the ones people would pay for to get as a model for dildos.

Akihito sighed slowly, preparing for mission, and patted himself mentally. He sneaked his right hand around the base of Asami’s erection, while his other hand cupped the man’s balls. He slowly dipped the tip of his tongue into the slit, tasting the saltiness, then he rounded his tongue around the head, feeling the throbbing and twitching inside his mouth. He licked the underside, starting from the base, then slowly let the lengthy hard-on enter his mouth till he could take it without gagging. He licked and sucked on the pulsing, hot flesh in his mouth, tasting the same saltiness he experienced with the first taste of the slit. He bobbed his head rhythmically, humming and lapping the cock, his right hand stroking by the base, his left hand fondling the balls.

A small gasp left Asami’s mouth, one that he’d have missed if he didn’t pay attention. Akihito felt desperate: his almost trademark blowjob did not bring the desired results, Asami hardly showing any sign that at the moment he got sucked off. He changed the pace, the rhythm and the way he sucked, letting the hard-on almost slipping out of his mouth, enclosing the lips right around the base of the head and sucking and licking enthusiastically, touching and tasting the slit again and again with the tip of his tongue.

“Akihito”, heard the boy Asami’s growling.

He looked up, locking eyes with the man. The molten gold already morphed into a much deeper shade, his gaze filled with desire.

“Turn your ass here, I’m going to start preparing you”, said the man, and Akihito got so dumbfounded that for a moment he forgot what he was doing.

When Asami impatiently thrust into his mouth, the thick shaft’s tip touching the back of his throat, he only continued his act, deciding not to obey Asami’s request, because he’d feel so embarrassed if he’d got fingered or received a rim job from the man.

“Akihito”, called Asami, his tone strict and filled with warning.

“’t’s ‘kay”, answered the boy, the cock’s more than half still buried in his mouth, “’ll f’ng’r mis’lf.”

To his utter surprise, Asami’s fingers entangled in his hair, and yanked Aki’s head upwards, freeing his own cock from the mouth.

“Wait, I’ll do it!” pleaded the boy, saliva mixed with pre-cum dripping down his chin, onto the expensive recliner.

“You’re way past bargaining”, roared the man, and he pushed Akihito’s head forcefully into the soft duvet, “Stay where you are!”

Aki didn’t dare to move, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his mind raced. The sudden strictness somehow scared him, but also he felt much hornier because of the rough treatment. Maybe he was born naturally to be a masochist.

“Spread your cheeks apart”, ordered Asami, and Akihito unwillingly but obeyed.

Akihito’s face flushed in a deep crimson colour, because he couldn’t do anything about the situation, his head pushed into the thick fabric and hiding his embarrassment. He waited for the dripping of the lube and the trying and probing of Asami’s finger, but when the other man first licked between the cheeks he squirmed and tried to crawl away from him. The man’s hand steadily pushed him into the fabric, the thick duvet effectively muffling the prying and squeaking of the boy, as he tried to stop Asami’s sudden act.

“Akihito, spread them properly”, came the request, and he could only do as he was told.

As Asami continued to rim him, licking and probing the pink little pucker of the boy, Akihito felt like dying from the uncomfortable mix of pleasure and embarrassment. It was a bad time to remember, but he unconsciously recalled the time when Kai ranted about the disgusting act of rimming someone, because he wouldn’t bring his face to someone’s ass, _Oh my god, Akihito, what aberrant are some gay men._

“Asa… Asam… iii”, he whined, the man’s grip loosening some on his head.

“Yes, Akihito, call my name”, urged Asami, and finally his first finger entered the boy, right next to his tongue.

“Pleeeeeaaassssssee… Sto… stop”, he almost cried, because he couldn’t take it anymore.

“But we’ve only got one finger in”, mused Asami, thrusting his finger farther into the boy.

“Don’t… lick…”

“But the lubricant’s so far away, in the bathroom”, replied Asami, and Aki knew that the bastard was enjoying his torture and embarrassment so much.

Asami continued probing the boy’s entrance, one more of his fingers thrust in, but the licking still didn’t stop. Aki felt like going crazy, his pleasure receptors in his mind burnt out, his tear flowing. He just wanted Asami’s cock inside him, bareback or not, just wanted the huge member rammed into him so much he couldn’t stand the next day. He felt his cock dripping with pre-cum again, but he couldn’t do anything, since he still needed to spread himself apart, assisting Asami in his shameful act.

“Oh, God…!!” he whined, when Asami’s finger brushed that too right spot, that sent shivers of pleasure up and down his spine.

“So here it is…” commented Asami, his fingers buried continuously in the boy’s backside, thrusting the spot again and again.

“Asa… mi… Asam… ii… please… oh god… please”, pleaded Akihito, edging closer to another climax.

“Say my name, Akihito”, purred the man, his third finger entering the boy.

Akihito jumped in surprise again, but Asami’s other hand still pushed him into the covers, not letting him escape. Asami only kissed, sucked and licked along the dimples on the small of Aki’s back, pretty sure leaving kiss marks there as well, while his fingers scissored, widening the boy’s entrance.

“Asam… Asssaaa… mii”, gasped the boy, his head full of his desire for another orgasm.

“The other one”, corrected him Asami, scraping the sensitive skin of the boy’s back with his teeth.

“Ryu…ichi… Ryuich… iiii… Ahh!”

Asami’s fingers started to thrust into him with higher speed, his nails occasionally raking Akihito’s sweet spot.

“Ryu…”, gasped Akihito, his fingertips digging into his own ass cheeks, his mind starting to go blank again with the intense orgasm that was about to burst out of him.

And suddenly a woman’s echoing yell came from the corridor.

“RYU? ARE YOU HOME?”

Both of them froze, Akihito immediately letting go of his ass, and with a barrel roll slapping Asami’s hand away from his head. Getting overjoyed with the sudden freedom, he jerked away from Asami, the probing fingers slipping out from his pucker. He then crawled towards the farther end of the bed and pulled the duvet onto himself. 

He glanced at Asami, who still kneeled there on the edge of the bed, his face distorting into a raging expression. The man raked his sweat-soaked bangs to its place, then got up from the bed and walked towards the closest door, that evidently lead into the bathroom. He emerged some moments later, already draped into a bathrobe, his eyes filled with the intent of killing whoever was the intruder.

“Akihito, don’t you dare move from that spot, I’ll be right back”, pointed Asami at Akihito, intimidating the already extremely intimidated boy, ”I just need to get rid of this bitch”.

Akihito only lifted both of his hands into the air, in a placating motion, and watched as Asami walked away, tugging in the door behind himself, but not entirely closing it.

Aki only heard murmurs coming down the corridor, Asami and the woman evidently arguing about something. Then their voices started to edge closer to the bedroom. Akihito clumsily tumbled out of the bed and grabbed his clothes, running into the bathroom. He closed the door behind himself, leaning against the hard wood.

“Why can’t I come up sometimes to meet you?” asked the woman from the other side, his tone sounding overly familiar with Asami, and a little spoiled.

“How did you even get the keycard?” countered Asami, his voice quite angry.

“Oh, I asked Kirishima for a copy”, answered the girl naturally, “And he told me that you already left for the night.”

“I’m highly convinced that he also mentioned that I was with a guest”, exclaimed Asami, his harsh voice so different from his naturally calm and composed behaviour.

“Oh, Ryu, don’t be so mad”, giggled the girl, “I’m your fiancée after all.”

“RINA!” shouted Asami, his temper out on a rampage.

But Akihito didn’t care anymore. He already had his jeans and underwear on, and ran towards the other door of the bathroom, that most probably lead to either the corridor or into another room. He didn’t dare to think about the words he heard from the girl. The f-word especially stabbed deep in his heart.

He opened the door and glanced around, seeing that he indeed ended up at the corridor. He still heard Asami and the girl, Rina, argue, and he took the chance to run in the other direction, through the living room and finally ending up in the ganken. He yanked his t-shirt over his head, and slipped on his boots, not daring stall with putting his socks on.

Half a minute later he was already sprinting down the stairs, not wanting to encounter with the leaving girl by the elevator, his tears slowly and steadily flowing down his face. He almost reached the ground floor when he heard the echoing boom of a door kicked open, and the booming shout of angry (and partly desperate) “ _AKIHITO_ ”, but he didn’t stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so terribly sorry, I promise it's gonna be okay again eventually!!
> 
> Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time uwu


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> Here's the new chapter - yeeey!!
> 
> I'm gonna update once or max twice a week from now on, since I'm moving and start working. :33
> 
> Oh and I made a fanmix for the story!! http://8tracks.com/nikkvarga/caramel-frappuccino-the-fanmix check it out if you're interested :33
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Hugs

The always good and light mood in Café Fantasia now gave place to the gloom and death. The weather outside seemed to adjust to the current events, and for the past one and a half weeks it was raining cats and dogs. Everyone felt moody, their patience wearing thin, their heads aching and they tolerance kicking the bucket. Akira almost beat up one of the bitchy customers because the man dared to make some moves on him. Basically, everyone adjusted to Akihito’s foul mood that started two weeks ago.

Yes, two weeks ago. Two weeks have passed and Akihito hasn’t heard a word about Asami, the man laying low and probably planning to seduce another young man for a quick fuck behind his fiancée’s back.

Though Akihito couldn’t care less anymore. He beat himself up about the situation, crying for three days straight and after that it ended. He didn’t cry because of Asami, but because he once again found a guy that had a fiancée, and chosen said fiancée over him. And after a while it gets tiring, getting broken up by straight guys who want to marry. Okay he and Asami didn’t go out - just had some light fling and if they’d progressed till the end that would have been a grave mistake. Maybe the girl saved him from another true heartbreak, because sure Asami swept him off of his feet, but he didn’t fall in love with the man incurably. 

Or at least he told it to himself.

But sometimes he lay in his bed, or his mind wandered away at work and he dreamt of that night. He saw as Asami mixed the ingredients and thrown the shaker back and forth and played with the mood and then kissed him so perfectly and jerked him off and took him home and…

_I shouldn’t think of these things, I’m at work for God’s sake._

He wiped the mugs he just washed, and put them back onto the back counter for easier reach. Then he occupied himself with arranging some of the plastic cups in a pyramid, making the boring and uneventful day at least bearable.

Thanks to the weather most people didn’t go out. In addition the holiday-season just broke out so most of their frequenters travelled far away to get rid of their everyday lives if only just for a week. So the café didn’t have that much of customer masses as previously, the boys didn’t need to all be in work like they used to.

Akihito glanced at Jonah, who sat by the window, gazing into the heavy rain that washed the streets of Tokyo. Only some people walked by the shop, not even glancing at it, their umbrellas tightly clutched to their chests to save them from getting soaked to the bone. Akihito definitely didn’t wait for 8 pm when they’d close up the shop and went home. He’d drown like a sewer rat in this weather.

Suddenly a girl with long brown locks ran up to the entrance, a broken umbrella dangling in her hand. Her hair and clothes were soaked, and as she entered and shut the door behind herself, her shoes squeaked wetly on the board. She dropped the umbrella to the floor and wheezed heavily, she evidently ran for a while now.

She then brushed her hair casually back, and tried to collect her shattered dignity, with more or less success. Her strut to the counter somehow didn’t show her embarrassing situation, and she put her hands onto the marble cheerfully.

“A Venti Vanilla Latte, please”, she smiled at Akihito, and the boy could see the smeared make-up all around the girl’s eye. On second glance, she was shivering hard.

“Wait a second, I’ll be right back”, answered Akihito, then he spun around and marched into the barista dressing room.

He knew that he had a towel lying around in his closet, and he decided to give it to poor girl caught up in a hard situation. When he returned to the counter, Jonah was already mixing the girl’s drink, who stood at the exact same spot, shivering and sniffling.

“There you go”, he held out the towel to the girl to take it.

She only glanced at him, like he came from some sort of a different planet, his help evidently not recognized just yet. The girl slowly reached for the towel, and draped it over her long hair, the fabric immediately dampening with the touch of wetness.

“Thank you”, she muttered finally, her shaky voice filled with gratefulness.

“You’re welcome”, nodded Aki and smiled at the shy girl.

“I’ll be borrowing your bathroom to dry myself a little”, announced the girl then she already walked away in the direction of the restrooms.

Fifteen minutes later she returned, her clothes dry and her hair braided and twisted into a high bun. Her fringe fell awkwardly onto her forehead but she couldn’t really do anything about it. She held Akihito’s towel in her hand, neatly folded.

“Thank you very much, I’ll take it to wash myself, and bring it back to you”, she smiled, and bowed slightly.

“No, it’s not necessary”, objected Akihito, the beautiful smile of the girl took his breath away.

“You’re really nice, my friend told me that”, she wondered, and here eyes looked around the place, “I like it here.”

Akihito and Jonah shared a knowing glance, concluding that they have gained another fan for the café and for themselves. During their telepathic interaction the girl took her drink from the counter and walked to one of the armchairs standing by the window. She sat down and glared into the rain, her mind evidently working on something.

Aki and Jonah returned to their routine, not really dealing with the girl, since she visibly didn’t want any company. When the rain let down a bit, the girl only stood up and with a cheerful “ _Bye bye_ ” ran out into the light rain, leaving her broken umbrella behind.

The intermission didn’t really intervene in their day and half an hour later they closed up and went their separate ways.

 

“Hey, I’d like to have and iced mocacchino and a raspberry cheesecake, please, Akihitooo”, whined the girl, half-spread out on the marble counter, her nails digging into Aki’s apron, “I’m starving!!!”

“Okay, I got it, just wait a bit, Mina-chan”, sighed the boy, and he wrote the cup casually and took the cake out of its place from the stand.

“Hurry up! I’m dying here!” wailed Mina, and for show she clutched her hand right above her heart and made gasping noises.

“You know, I’m not your personal barista”, argued Akihito, as he started mixing the girl’s drink.

“Nope, you’re my one and only Aki- _chan_ who can mix such wonderful drinks and break everyone’s heart”, babbled the chestnut haired beauty and let her arms flail around on the counter again.

Akihito didn’t comment on the previous sentence, only finished up the girl’s drink and gave it to her prying hand. She hurried to the table closest to the counter, from where she told anecdotes to Aki and expounded the events of her day.

After the day Mina wandered into the shop soaked to the bones, she became a hard-core regular, appearing at least once every day, but sometimes two times, depending on her work schedule. She seemed to be a stylist of some sort, participating at photo shoots and preparing icons for public appearances, but her work seemed to be really uncertain, her business going through highs and lows all the same.

“So as I was dressing up this super confidential customer, she freaking tripped on the hem of the brand new Versace dress I just acquired and ripped half of the skirt off of it. I thought I was going to stab her in the eye with the Louboutin’s I had in my hands, because that dress worth eight million yens at least, and she tripped on it! Thank God, my superior stopped me from doing anything rash, or I could already be in jail!” chattered Mina, her sweet voice filling the air of the café, lightening the mood, and encouraging people to speak more. Her personality seemed to be magical: she made everyone happier, her stories were considered funny, but at least highly amusing, and her nature made her able to talk to anybody without any restrains. 

“Oh, that’s a new iPhone, isn’t it?” asked Akira, glancing at the phone next to Mina’s mug.

“Yep, my… friend brought it for me from overseas, he’s really considerate, though strict as hell. And he’s really stingy, always making me feel like some inferior creature…” she sighed, but a huge smile formed on her pretty face, “maaan, I love to tease him so freaking much, oh my god!”

Akihito only shook his head, while he stirred his Raspberry Refresha with his straw. He couldn’t drink Caramel Frappuccino for a few weeks now, because he automatically associated the drink with Asami.

“Hey guys, don’t you want to hang out with me on one of those fancy premieres? I’ve got some extra tickets and I don’t have any presentable friends besides you to invite out!” started up a new topic Mina, glancing at her new phone with mild interest.

“Sure, why not?” shrugged Akira, glancing at Akihito, “we haven’t been anywhere together since we went to Sion.”

Mina’s mouth popped open, her eyes wide in surprise. She dropped her fork with a piece of cheesecake on it, and the piece slowly rolled to the edge of the table. Akira grabbed it, and dropped it into his mouth.

“OH! MY! GOD!!!” squealed Mina, her voice getting attention from the other guests sitting around. “YOU WENT TO SION?! YOU NEED TO TAKE ME THERE SOMETIMES!!”

“I don’t want to go back there ever again”, muttered Akihito, suddenly a dull spot on the counter being so interesting for him to scrub with his dishrag.

“Oh come on! I’m sure that place is awesome!” insisted Mina, “Take me there, pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaseeeeee!!!”

“I won’t set foot in Sion ever again”, deadpanned Akihito, then he exited the counter and went upstairs to collect some empty mugs from the guests.

“What’s his problem?” asked Mina curiously behind his back.

“He got shit-faced the last time we were there, and they asked him kindly not to go visit again”, answered Akira half-whispering.

Indeed, Akihito told them this story after thoughtful combining. He felt it easier to tell his friends a lie than admitting that he almost became a mistress or a one-night fuck for an engaged guy who thought he could do anything without any consequences. His conscience could hardly keep pace with the guilt that built up in him though, sometimes wondering whether the girl cut off that cheating bastard or not.

He already had at least half dozen of mugs collected, when he heard Akira’s voice coming up the stairs.

“Oi, Akihito! Someone’s here to see you!”

He froze, the tray with the mugs almost slipping out of his hands. He couldn’t prepare himself to a face-off Asami, not this suddenly, not in his current state. He felt so relieved when the man didn’t show up anymore, letting their separation be a clean break but why, oh why did he came to see him now? It happened almost three weeks ago, he shouldn’t strut in here like everything happened in a bad dream.

“Tell him I’m not here”, hissed Akihito finally, and put down the tray onto the nearest table.

“He says it’s urgent”, answered Akira, his head half showing between the handrail, “And he knows you’re here since I shouted for you.”

“Damn you, Akira!” gritted his teeth the boy then took a deep breath and slowly lifted up the tray with the mugs again.

As he descended the stairs, he recited every monologue he ever created to defeat Asami’s smugness. He hoped that the man came to grovel, to apologize his heart out, to atone for his sins. He wouldn’t forgive him because he fucked over not only him but a pure girl as well, but he’d feel higher and mightier that’s for sure.

As he walked down on the last few steps, he only glanced at the cups on his tray, not lifting his gaze until he got back to the counter. But, interestingly, he couldn’t smell the manly scents that usually surrounded Asami, only something faintly familiar from his past.

He tried hard, so hard to identify the owner of the sweet smell, the feeling of safety and home, and he dropped the tray onto the counter, the mugs clanking noisily.

“KAI?!” he whipped up his head, his voice echoing on the ground floor.

And there he stood leisurely, in a turquoise t-shirt with skinny jeans and Chuck Tailors, Ray-Ban glasses pushed onto his head, and a lovely, toothy smile all over his face.

“Hey, Akihito, what’s up?” he asked casually.

Aki only blinked, at least a hundred times in only half a minute. He needed to comprehend the situation. This _motherfucker_ , after almost five months, walks into his workplace so casually and searches for him like they are the bestest of buddies ever, and then he asks what’s up?

“Get the hell out of here!” he shouted at Kai, the other boy (and the guests present) gaping with wide eyes.

“Uum, Akihito, could you… uummm…” walked Akira up to him, his hands up in a placating motion, “could you please talk it out in the back? The guests are staring.”

“Come with me, you motherfucker”, spat through gritted teeth the boy, and marched towards the back door.

He heard the hesitant steps from his ex following him, and then he rushed out into the alley behind the shop, waiting for the other boy.

“I can’t believe you dare to show your face here!” he screamed, his voice echoing in the stillness of the mid-day alleyway. “You fucking jinxed me, you asshole!”

Kai only stared at him dumbfounded, his greenish eyes filling with more and more questions. He stepped closer to the boy to put his hand on Aki’s shoulders, but the smaller boy dodged his touch.

“Don’t you dare touch me! Don’t you dare comfort me!” Akihito wheezed, his anger making him raging almost blindly.

“Can you please explain the jinxing you part?” asked Kai calmly, his hand falling down next to him.

“You fucking jinxed me! You motherfucker made me develop a sensor that can only find straight men with fiancées as potential love interests! And I fucking hate you because of it, you asshole! Not just because of it, but it’s one reason!” Akihito stomped and kicked one of the trashcans, because he didn’t want to punch his ex, though the desire lingered in him.

Kai only looked at him curiously, his fine features morphing into a slight frown.

“Akihito, this sentence contained way more swears than the amount you used to say”, he commented finally.

“Are you here for a fucking fight?! Because I’ll fight it out with you if you want it!” Aki stood into a defensive position, his fists in front of his face, ready to hit.

“No, no, I just wanted to see you and talk to you… we haven’t seen each other for a while after all”, beamed Kai.

“I don’t fucking care, you asshole! Don’t you dare show your face here anymore! I hate you so fucking much! You ruined _everything_!”

Aki only buried his face in his hands, his hysteria slowly taking over his nerves. If this keeps going on he’s going to kill Kai.

“Please, calm down, Aki”, pleaded his ex, stepping closer to him, trying to soothe him with touching again.

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! Get the hell out of here! I don’t want to see you ever again!” shouted again Akihito, though his anger slowly started to seep away, and only his so tired vessel stayed in the alley.

“Please, Aki, you cannot just erase history, our history”, Kai wiggled his hand between themselves, “we were together for three years after all”, explained Kai.

“Yeah, then you threw me away like a used tissue because you got a fiancée on your own!” pouted Akihito, his arms entwined in front of his torso.

“Please, Aki, let me apologize properly, I know I was an asshole and I know I hurt you”, whined the other boy, his desperation clear in his voice.

“You don’t know _anything_! Now leave!” Akihito already turned back towards the backdoor, wishing he could already go back into the safe heaven of Café Fantasia.

“Hey, just let me treat you to dinner and let me talk to you. I swear I’m so sorry and I deeply regret the way I broke off things with you”, begged Kai, his gaze pointed towards the concrete of the street, his shoulders slumped.

“Well, you definitely should be, asshole”, muttered Aki.

“A dinner at your ultimate favourite place of the city, that American restaurant you could die for. You can eat as much as you want, how does it sound?” Kai’s bribing skills still stayed the same: he knew that Akihito would agree to almost anything if quality food was involved.

“And you pay for everything?” came the next clearing question.

“Yep”, nodded Kai.

“And I just need to listen?” asked the boy, slowly giving up his resolves.

“Yep”, agreed the other boy again.

“And that will be all?”

“Yep.”

Akihito contemplated so, so hard. He really did like that restaurant almost as much as he liked sushi, but the prices of the courses were ridiculous, at least for his budget. He looked at Kai, his beautifully proportioned face with the hopeful expression, and thought about the time he fell in love with him. It seemed like an eternity before, his standards slowly morphing into something manlier. Of course, Kai still had his beautiful features that made every women and (gay) men squeal, but Akihito didn’t feel attracted to it anymore. He only saw the face of a boy, two years his senior, and that’s all. Asami broke not just his heart but his standards as well, it seems.

“Oh, and I also brought back your favourite hoodie that you left at my place!” held out a plastic bag Kai that seemed stuffed with something.

“You could have done it five months ago”, sighed Aki, taking the bag from the other boy.

“I wanted to keep something that reminded me of you”, answered Kai so casually and honestly.

“You didn’t have the right to think like that”, argued Akihito, though his vigour lost its juice already. Now he only felt exhausted beyond words.

“I know, but I knew I’ll miss you”, shrugged his ex apologetically.

“You were the one who broke up with me”, replied Akihito, already edging closer to the back door, his back to Kai.

“Indeed I was”, agreed Kai silently.

“You should go to hell.”

“I’m sure I will.”

 

When Akihito nervously sat down at their reserved booth, waiting for Kai to arrive, he couldn’t shake the feeling of somebody watching him. He felt the presence on the train and in the crowd as well, his senses already in high-sensor mode. He felt this kind of presence during the past few weeks as well, when he went out with friends or walked home during the night. The watchful eyes followed his every movement either stalking him or making sure he’d get home safe. Though he still couldn’t think of anything else then a creep waiting for his right time to attack and rape him.

He shrugged and looked out the window into the night crowd of Shibuya. The different people in colourful dresses or in their creased business clothes all tumbled down the street wanting to get to their meeting or home. Akihito only thought that he’d be on his way home currently or rather he’d already sit in front of the LCD TV of their living room, playing GTA V with Akira for the rest of the night with pizza and beer. But no, he needed to accept Kai’s grovelling and begging to join him for dinner. He felt like an idiot, but he already arrived and sat at their table, and it couldn’t go so wrong, right?

He sighed, and took out the menu from its place, checking the prices. They haven’t changed since he last visited the place (with Kai) and the menu stayed the same as well, though some hot wings with extra spicy sauce seemed to be the seasonal special dish.

“Hey, what can I bring you, _sweetie_?” walked up a waitress to the table, her boobs almost hanging out of her tight white t-shirt with the emblem of the place.

He didn’t dare to order just yet, since in the back of his mind he felt the possibility that Kai stood him up and he needs to pay for the food for himself – and he didn’t have that kind of money since he tried to save up for a brand new Nikon.

“Uuum… a beer, please?” he answered finally, the girl impatiently clicking her long fake-nails all over her notepad.

“Sure, _darling_ ”, winked the girl then she pedalled over to another table to take the couple’s order who sat there.

He glanced onto his phone’s screen, the minutes passing slowly. Their meeting supposed to take place 15 minutes ago, and Kai still haven’t shown up.

_He definitely fucked me over._

Aki decided to wait for another fifteen minutes then he’d be out of this place before he gets those pitying looks that made him crawl out of his skin. He didn’t get stood up! Well it seems that he did, but nobody needs to know it.

“I’m sorry, the train was delayed!” came Kai’s voice suddenly from the other side of the table, and Akihito yelped in surprise.

“No, it’s okay!” he replied automatically, almost apologetically.

“Is everything okay? You seem kind of distorted”, sat down the other boy, and he also took his menu to check it out.

“Yes, I’m okay, I just got startled that’s all”, nodded Aki, his heart still beating hundred miles per hour.

“So what do you want to eat?” asked Kai as he gazed at Aki above his menu.

“I guess the usual?” tried Akihito, his face blushing a little.

He didn’t intend it to be a date, only a meet-up with an old-time acquaintance that offered to pay for the meal. He tapped on the table, next to his phone, still contemplating whether he should leave or not, because he had a bad feeling about this whole thing. The whole meet-up felt so awkward even though they both got over their relationship. Or Aki did as far as he could admit. 

Sure, Kai sometimes came up in his mind, he was the first boy Akihito fell head over heels for and had a real relationship with, but he didn’t feel attraction anymore. He couldn’t imagine having sex with him either, his vehement movements and little or no foreplay at all giving him the chills. Whenever they had sex, Kai refused to touch Akihito’s bum either with fingers or with tongue. He only waited impatiently until Akihito prepared himself then shoved it in and got over with it, Akihito remaining without orgasm most of the time. Sure with time they got better, Akihito learnt to play with himself better and somehow he started to enjoy their intercourses. But not as much as he enjoyed the one almost best fuck of his life with Asami.

_Crap, I’m thinking about him again!_

He glanced at Kai, who seemed to be immersed in his menu, probably calculating the prices for their meal. Even though he belonged to a prominent photographer family, his monthly allowance seemed to be cut back. Probably he needed to save money for his marriage. His parents always held him on a tight leash, the family’s relationship a real chaos and everyday almost as a military training camp. Kai’s upbringing seemed to be splendid though, his parents remained true to the traditions and the boy participated in every possible traditional celebration they could get him into. And in the end he still became the hugest asshole Akihito ever encountered with.

“Here’s your beer, _honey_ ”, put his jug of beer in front of him the waitress, “And what can I bring you, _sweetheart_?” turned the girl to Kai.

The restaurant tried to imitate a traditional American diner with the design and the menu, and they even made their employee speak like some Southern grandmas. For a degree it happened to be amusing, but beyond that point it just challenged everyone’s patience and tolerance. Akihito personally enjoyed being called sweetheart like that one time, then it went down the drain, making him stingy and impatient.

“Yeah and can we get also the 6 and the 8 and the 17, and for desserts the 26 and the 23?” gave the order Kai when Akihito got back from his daydream.

“Sure thing, _babe_ ”, replied the waitress fiercely and she went over to the counter to give in their orders.

The silence became pregnant and awkward again, Akihito not glancing at Kai who seemed to set his aim for the night to burn a hole trough the boy with his intense gaze. He bit down on his bottom lip, not glancing at the other boy. He couldn’t look at him or he’d get more embarrassed than he already felt. He cursed himself for taking up the offer even though free food was involved: he should have just kicked out Kai from the café, and make sure he’d never get back there. But no, he accepted the offer because… because what? He wanted to feel like somebody still wanted to be with him? He wanted to prove to himself that even though Asami kicked him out he still counted as desirable merchandise? He needed to prove that somebody still wanted to fuck him?

“So what was it about me jinxing you?” asked Kai when the waitress returned with his beer.

Akihito almost chocked on his drink. He definitely made a huge ass of himself, screaming his anger out at Kai the other day. But he got so worked up, he just felt overjoyed that he could blow up at someone after keeping every freaking tension in himself for more than two weeks. And Kai totally deserved it to be honest, he dumped him after two-timing then erased Akihito from his life like he thrown away his old notebook.

In the end Akihito decided not to answer to Kai’s question because he didn’t want to get into details. And Kai definitely would pry into his private life and relationships just to gossip and whatnot. He proved his incapability to keep a secret many times.

“So does it mean that you don’t have anybody currently?” came the next question from his ex, his fingers circling the condensation of the side of his jug.

“Technically speaking, yes”, replied Aki finally, glancing out onto the street.

Kai hummed and drank another few gulps from his beer, his eyes dancing all over Akihito and their surrounding. He seemed to be amused, the wicked look in his eyes foreshadowing the next part of the conversation.

“Then let’s get back together!” he exclaimed jovially.

“What?” gaped Akihito because he thought he heard it wrong.

“Come on, Aki, you and me, the eternal couple”, explained Kai gleefully, “I miss you, you miss me, it’d be perfect again!”

Akihito needed to close his eyes and take a deep breath to get through the shock. He’d never get back together with Kai because he realized that the guy only played with him, and he truly remained a straight asshole who, by the way, prepared currently to his up-coming marriage, wasn’t he?

“I never said I missed you”, deadpanned Akihito finally, wrapping his head around the situation.

“And you don’t have anybody either, what’s stopping you?” pried Kai in the issue.

“I just simply don’t want to get back together with a douchebag like you, and what’s up with that fiancée of yours?” countered Akihito, last week’s rage slowly seeping back into him.

“We broke up because the sex was ridiculously wrong”, shrugged the other boy, sipping his beer casually, “Nothing compares to you, Aki, and I still love you.”

“Oh, no”, held up his hand Akihito in a stopping motion, “You don’t play the ‘I still love you’ card because it’s not true. You almost fucking married a girl because your parents told you so. If you loved me, you’d never do something like that, dumping me for a chick because your family wanted you to”, explained the boy tiredly.

“Don’t be such a grumpy boy, I love you”, said Kai, and he reached over the table to cradle Aki’s cheeks.

“Go fuck yourself with your love!” stormed Akihito then he stood up and started to march out of the restaurant.

Kai grabbed his wrist and held it tight.

“Akihito”, he breathed heavily, “I’m serious.”

Aki only shook his arm, trying to get away from that disgusting asshole of a man, who never had any decency whatsoever and always acted like a young master who deserved and got everything. Finally he succeeded to pry the hand off of himself, the tight hold bruising the skin on his wrist.

“And I’m serious when I say you should go and fucking die!” he hissed then he hurried out of the restaurant, never looking back.

He got exactly one street away when somebody grabbed his right shoulder and tossed him into the closest alleyway. The mysterious man violently pushed his face into the cinderblock wall, his face bruising and bleeding where he hit the rough surface. He felt the hands of the stranger fumbling with his belt buckle while the other hand kept him close to the wall, pushing him up against it. The guy grinded his clothed erection against his ass and wheezed hot air onto the back of his neck.

“You will remember how much you loved me after I fucked you”, whispered Kai in his ears, licking and sucking on his earlobe.

“Get the fuck off of me!” fidgeted Aki, trying to get an opening where he could attack.

“Come on, Akihito, for the old memories!” teased him his ex, and the fumbling fingers already reached his limp cock in his boxers.

“Get away from me, you pervert!” hissed Akihito, still struggling against the deadlock.

Unfortunately, Kai practiced judo for eight years when he was younger so he knew exactly how to hold down a struggling partner. And right now he could use his knowledge with benefits.

Aki only screwed his eyes shut and started a silent prayer to get through the night with mild injuries and good evidence to go to the police with accusation of rape.

“I’d advise you to step away from Takaba Akihito about right now”, came the familiar voice from behind them, and Akihito’s eyes flew wide open because of the surprise.

“Asami!” he gasped, his face still scraping against the hard cinderblock of the wall.

“And just who are you?” asked Kai, but he still didn’t ease his pressure on Akihito.

“Let Akihito go”, replied Asami calmly, though his voice contained a seriously dangerous edge.

“Or what?” countered Kai, and to give weight to his words he pushed Akihito further till he whined with pain.

Asami didn’t answer, but Akihito heard the shuffling sounds of his expensive loafers and the rustling of clothes.

_Is he really going to fight Kai?_

Then Kai flew away from his back, and ended up on a pile of trash with a huge thud. He squirmed and cursed; trying to get out of the pile of half-rotten food and other things Akihito didn’t want to think of. Aki, given his freedom, quickly pulled up his pants that were dangerously close to falling down his thighs, and leaned against the wall, his knees shaking. Asami only put his suit jacket on the shivering boy, and the familiar scent almost instantly eased Aki’s mind. The other man only cradled his shoulders and started to walk him out of the alley.

“Oh, so you _do_ have someone!” exclaimed Kai cheerfully when he gathered himself. “And what a fine man at that with his fancy suite and luxury cars! You were always a gold-digger, you slut!”

Asami stopped dead in his track, forcing Akihito to slow down as well. The man only spun around and marched back to Kai, the other boy staying relatively calm in the situation.

“What? Now you’re gonna protect your little whore, you pampered rich bastard? I bet you don’t even know how to pu…”

He got cut off as Asami hit him square in the jaw then kneed him in the guts. Kai only collapsed onto the concrete of the alley, wheezing and gulping, trying not to throw up from the hit on his stomach. The next moment Asami took a gun out of the now visible holsters that were previously hidden by his suit jacket, and pointed it right in-between Kai’s eyebrows.

“Apologize to Akihito”, said the man strictly, cocking the gun.

The loud _click_ echoed in the alley, making the whole world stand still.

“I’m… I’m ss… sorry! Okay?!” squealed Kai, weakly.

“Sure”, muttered Akihito, petrified from the happenings around him.

“Good”, confirmed Asami, “and never come near him ever again!”

Kai only pathetically nodded; sweat beading down his temples and a large bruise already forming on his charming face.

The next moment the gun boomed, its echo reverberating through the street. Kai’s scream only added to the painfully deafening mix, as he clutched his left hand, blood oozing from a wound where his pinky’s phalanges were situated only seconds before.

“Just a reminder of your little promise”, added Asami casually then the gun was back on its place and the man walked towards Akihito like nothing happened.

Aki’s world slowly started to blur, the pained wheezing of Kai making him nauseous and the sight of blood tipping him off the edge.

The last thing he saw was Asami as he reached to catch his collapsing body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you feel the foreshadowing? Do you still feel it?
> 
> Mwahaha
> 
> Comments are appreciated!!
> 
> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> Till next time :33


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo sweethearts!
> 
> Here is the wonderful new chapter! We get some answers yeeey!!
> 
> And some surprise at the end, because I couldn't contain myself, haha.
> 
> Enjoy! :33

As Akihito, on the verge of his dream, tossed and turned around in the huge bed with the mushy pillows and the light, soft blankets, he knew that something definitely was off. Even though he still lingered with sleep sticking to his mind, and fogging his thoughts, the interior of the room and the whole environment just seemed so wrong. He recalled the place hardly since he already visited it once, but couldn’t connect the dots just yet.

The spicy, manly smell from the pillows surrounded him, and he decided he could live life through like this. He burrowed his nose further into the fabric, inhaling the sandalwood and citrus mix with the hint of tobacco. His mind registered the smell but didn’t forward the information for further consideration. Akihito hugged the pillow closer to himself, taking up a foetal position around it, and he never ever ever wanted to leave the bed again.

At least he did not want to until he heard the rumble and cursing from some other room in the place where he stayed currently. 

He sat up in the bed, checking his surroundings again, trying to recollect last night’s happenings. He went out to have dinner with Kai then he left. And that was all he could remember. His head ached, his face felt numb and his stomach growled uncomfortably, fighting the nausea. 

He finally identified the room. It happened to be Asami’s master bedroom. He laid neatly tucked in-between the sheets, his pants folded onto the chair on the other end of the room. Looking at the window, with the curtains drawn, he saw that the sun was already shining outside.

Did he spend the night? Did he get so smashed that he crawled back for a pity fuck? Why did Asami let him in at all?

He felt utterly confused and tired, his insides churning and panging. He needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Facing Asami would have been a catastrophe: his dignity already wounded so many times it couldn’t take anything anymore.

He crawled out of the bed and reached for his pants, one leg already in when the door smashed open and the sound of it froze his movements. He didn’t dare to look up since he already felt so ashamed he could die. Asami didn’t say anything either, probably he checked out the boy, his pathetic appearance and all-together undignified form.

“Oh my God! Aki, are you okay?” jumped somebody to his side, lean fingers grabbing his upper arm. The high-pitched voice definitely did not belong to Asami, but to another person he knew very well.

“Mina?!” asked Akihito dumbfounded, looking up at the girl who had worry lines all over her pretty face.

“You scared the crap out of me when Ryu brought you in in his arms!” the girl sighed then slapped Aki’s upper arm with little force. “I was _sooo_ worried! I think I lost at least five years of my life thanks to you, idiot!”

Akihito considered himself smart: not book smart, but street smart. But right now his smartness seemed to fail him, because he couldn’t comprehend the happenings of him being in Asami’s bedroom, and Mina being in Asami’s bedroom, but Asami not being in Asami’s bedroom. He finished pulling up his pants, his mind still working on full power, but he still couldn’t get the point of the whole happening.

He glanced at Mina, who only looked at him with admiration, and smiled weakly at the girl. He opened his mouth to start a long monologue about his need to get the hell out of the place, but his words stuck in his throat when Asami casually walked into the bedroom, joining their merry group of two.

He looked so out of his style, but so in place, his training pants hanging low on his hips and a white, tight t-shirt spread over his perfect torso, shoving off his muscles on both arms and most probably on his back (though that Akihito couldn’t see just yet). Sure, it was Sunday, but why was Asami dressed so casually? He shouldn’t be. It was against the rules of the game, especially the fact that he looked like a Greek god even in his stay-at-home clothes.

“Explain…?” Akihito said meekly, not knowing whether he intended to explain himself or he waited for an explanation from the others in the room.

And he got back to where he started, Mina’s presence being the most disturbing of all.

“As I mentioned, Ryu dragged you in last night because you were out cold”, explained Mina, her hand crawling up and down on Aki’s back in some sort of a soothing motion.

“Oh God, and how did I end up out cold?” buried Aki his face into his palms, shrinking into himself.

_I’m sure I made a drunken ass out of myself._

Asami didn’t say anything, only walked past their pair right into his walk-in closet. He returned with a pair of black shorts and a tank top, holding them out to Akihito.

“Take a shower then come to have breakfast”, he only said with an utterly neutral voice then he already walked out of the room, his barefooted steps dimly thudding on the corridor’s floorboard.

Akihito glanced at the clothes in his hands then at Mina, who only smiled slowly and nodded in encouragement. She grabbed both of his shoulders from behind and started to push him towards the bathroom.

Aki’s head instantly filled with more and more questions as the minutes passed, and the soothing and slightly burning touch of the hot shower didn’t ease his mind. He felt uncomfortable, and it seemed that he had a wound on his face because the shampoo’s foam stung like a bitch.

After showering and dressing he walked out of the bathroom, a towel hanging around his neck, his nose following the delicious smell of something toasting and cooking. He easily found his way into the kitchen/dining room, though he never set foot there before.

Asami stood by the stove, his back to Akihito, stirring something in a pan. It seemed he was making scrambled eggs with bacon and fried tomatoes. On three plates there were already toasts prepared, dripping with butter.

Mina sat by the table, reading something on an expensive-looking tablet, her nails tapping in slow rhythm to some music in her mind. On second glance, she was dressed casually as well, not her usual top stylist form she always parades around in the café. Her clothing being so different from usual, her having no make-up on and her hair twisted into a loose bun threw Akihito out of the loop.

And at that exact moment something clicked together in Akihito’s mind and he felt like crying all over again.

“I…” he started hesitantly, his breathing getting heavier and his eyes filling up with tears. 

He wanted out. He needed to get out of there before he gets another nervous breakdown. He shouldn’t be there. He shouldn’t be in the kitchen of Asami and the girl who he intended to marry.

Both Asami and Mina glanced at him, though only latter could keep the eye contact since the man was still cooking their breakfast. She smiled at her, practically beamed, her kindly and freely radiating nature almost plastering Akihito onto the far wall of the kitchen.

“I should go”, rattled off Akihito then he already turned to leave the idyllic picture because he felt like vomiting.

Asami prepared breakfast for his fiancée and his almost-mistress, while the fiancée, who by the way was friends with him, read the paper on the other side of the table, oblivious to all previous happenings between Aki and Asami. But sure she had to know! She freaking walked-in on them, though haven’t seen anything compromising, but still. She knew who Akihito was and she deliberately searched for him and probably made friends with him. Maybe she planned to poison him or simply push him down the stairs when the right time came.

He got out into the corridor, hurrying by doors he didn’t know where to lead, and he finally ended up in the ganken. He took a de-tour since he came from the other door that lead to the kitchen from the other side of the flat. That was closer to the bedroom. His stomach still twitched and grumbled, his latest realization making his nausea hit on full force, and his guilt mixing into the whole situation didn’t make him feel any better.

“Don’t be silly, come, eat with us!” grabbed his arm Mina, pulling him back in the direction of the closer kitchen door.

“No, I shouldn’t be here”, stuttered Akihito, his mind starting to shut off completely. He struggled against the girl’s hold, but she didn’t seem to budge.

“Rina, let Akihito’s arm go”, came Asami’s voice not so far from them. He stood in the threshold of the kitchen.

“I should _really_ go”, urged Aki, and he successfully stepped into one of his shoes that were neatly lined up by the mahogany step of the ganken.

“Eat with us, Aki-chan!” whined Mina, jerking the boy’s flail body all over the place again, not really listening to anyone, but her own selfish rant.

“Rina, let him go!” warned her Asami strictly, his voice echoing in the ganken. It seemed, he noticed that Akihito wasn’t all right, probably his almost ghost-like visage a telltale sign.

Akihito’s head felt fuzzy and dizzy; his mouth dried out and, thanks to the jerking around, his stomach gave up struggling to keep yesterday’s contents in,

“I’m gonna be sick”, he deadpanned and in the next moment he threw up right onto the middle of the expensive floorboard in Asami’s ganken. 

He collapsed onto his knees, wheezing, his tears flowing slowly down on his face. He just wanted to die because everything would have been better that way. He felt weak and pathetic, ruining the flat of some random man who he wanted to go out with but couldn’t and it was just too much for him. He felt tired, and emotionally ruined, his tears flowing without his consent or, to be honest, without any reason.

He sobbed pathetically, his hands covering his face, trying to get rid of the tears. He heard the soft _thud thud thud_ of Asami’s steps as the man came up to him, then he was lifted up by the strong arms and carried into the living room not so far from there. He draped his arms around the muscly shoulders, burying his face into the fabric of Asami’s t-shirt, inhaling the rich trademark scent of the man.

“Lie down here, I bring you something to drink”, put him Asami down finally onto the sofa, turning away to get back into the kitchen.

“’m s’rry”, he sniffled as Asami returned with a glass of water and a damp washcloth in his hand.

“Don’t sweat it, you received quite a shock yesterday, I’m surprised you kept it together until now”, answered the man while he lightly wiped Aki’s face with the wet fabric.

“Ryu, what can I do?” hurried into their conversation Mina with evident worry in her voice.

“Clean up the mess that is thanks to you”, replied Asami coolly.

“I’m sorryyyyy”, whined the girl and she slowly twirled the end of one of her brown locks. She turned her gaze towards the floor, an obvious pout forming on her face.

“No, you are not, but you think that if you apologize I will let you off the hook”, sighed Asami, resting his palm on Akihito’s forehead to see whether he had a fever.

“Aren’t you?” asked hopefully the girl.

“No, get back to scrubbing”, reprimanded her Asami, “You’re in luck that I decided not to have carpet by the entrance.”

“You’re so clever, Ryu!!” babbled Mina cheerfully.

“Work your hands, not your mouth”, hissed Asami, and Mina breezed out the door in fear for her life.

“I’m sorry”, whined Akihito again, feeling like a dying whale that got stuck on the coast. His head was spinning, even blinking made his stomach turn and he still couldn’t find a good reason why he felt like crap.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault”, answered Asami again, smoothing Aki’s fringe out of his forehead.

“I just wanted to stop him before he left! He needs to get some explanations!” chimed in Mina from the door again.

“Would you please kindly go and clean up?” warned her Asami, the familiar violent edge surfacing in his voice again.

_His violent voice. The fight. The gun. Kai screaming._

“Oh my God, you shot my ex!” bolted up Akihito suddenly, forgetting all of his still lingering sickness. “You fucking shot Kai!”

“Technically, I shot off his finger”, shrugged Asami, and he stood up from his kneeling position, to get back into the kitchen.

“Oh my God!” buried Akihito his face into his hands and he lain back onto the sofa. He needed to set the happenings straight.

So, he left Kai in the restaurant but he got him and wanted to rape him in the alley, but Asami came to the rescue and they were almost off when Kai told something about Aki being a slut and Asami got mad and he beat the boy up and after made him apologize then shot him. So that was the shock Asami talked about.

“How did you know I was where I was?” asked Akihito tiredly, starting the questions from the beginning.

“It was me!” came Mina’s voice from the corridor, echoing. “We eavesdropped with Akira then I tipped him off because he’s a loser who couldn’t step forward after I tripped him a little!”

Asami returned from the kitchen, sat down onto the other end of the sofa with a glass filled with some bizarre coloured smoothie in his hand. He sipped slowly from the drink, his face muscles stiff as always.

“I’m done!” walked Mina into the room, plopping down next to Akihito on the sofa. She glanced at Asami and frowned, “you’re still drinking that disgusting wishy-washy?”

Asami didn’t even answer, only paid a meaningful look to the girl while slowly sipping the weird greenish-brown drink.

“I’m sure I’m the one out of here, but uum…” Akihito stalled to ask the most important questions regarding Mina (or Rina) and her relationship with Asami, “I mean I almost got into a one-night stand with your fiancé and all… and I’m _truly_ sorry!” he put up his hands in a placating motion.

Mina only glanced at him then the next moment her laughter bubbled up from nowhere.

“That’s why I told you not to say crap like that without a thought, Rina”, sighed Asami, though his anger was evident in his tone.

“Oh my God, I’m gonna die!” laughed Mina whole-heartedly. “Crap, I’m gonna pee right here! Hahaha!”

“What is going on here?” asked Akihito, getting more and more confused. He already thought that he couldn’t get more confused, but these two made it impossible for him to cope easily.

“Fuck…” wiped Mina her happy tears away with the hem of her t-shirt. “I’m really sorry, this time I mean it, but how the hell was I supposed to know that you were about to tap his ass?”

“Don’t come here uninvited and you don’t need to worry about these kinds of issues”, commented Asami not so lightly.

“But you never invite me over!” complained the girl.

“Because I don’t want you to come here”, replied the man naturally and calmly, though in quite a mean manner.

Akihito could only take so much of their banter, so he only held up his hand like a student signing to his teacher that he has a question, and the other two looked at him curiously.

“Care to elaborate…?” he inquired slowly.

Mina only looked expectantly at Asami, who set his glass down onto a coaster on the table then sighed.

“She’s Rina”, he said finally.

_I knew it already._

“I’m sorry, I don’t feel so comfortable”, pushed the heel of his hands Aki to his eyes, “it’s like the mistress and the wife meeting.”

The silence in the room seemed unbearable, and Akihito finally took his hand to look at the other two. Asami picked up his glass again, sipping so slowly and sensually from the drink, his gaze locked on Akihito. Mina, in the meantime, mushed her face into one of the expensive looking pillows and evidently shook with laughter, her quiet squeaks escaping into the air.

“Actually, I’m not his fiancée”, she said finally, when she could breathe again without starting to giggle, “I just joke with it since we were little.”

“She’s my cousin”, dropped the bomb Asami, and he still acted so nonchalant.

Akihito’s mind rebooted and started to review the happenings again. He blinked and blinked, his vision blurring, though right now there was no danger of him fainting. He tried to comprehend the situation, looked at Mina first then at Asami, then back at Mina then Asami and so on. He tried to find the similarities of the so-called cousins but he couldn’t. The idea of Mina being Asami’s cousin seemed so enchanting, breaking and lifting his curse, and leading to his happily ever after. He felt so ready to have his happy ending or at least a well-deserved intermission with a loving partner and mind-blowing sex, but the possibility of the bubble popping was palpable as well. Asami could easily kick him out and end it right now. He did not really have any reason why he should entertain Akihito forward, especially with his secret of handling guns and whatnot.

_Oh God, he can shoot me to silence me as well!_

He glanced back at Mina, no, Rina and could see the girl patiently waiting for the next question. She smiled at him warmly, her cheerful persona rubbing off on Akihito as well. He felt utterly exhausted, his mind coping with the information that so casually dropped onto it. Rina was related to Asami, they were cousins and they didn’t intend to get married. Asami didn’t fuck him over and made him one more fuck as a one-night stand of a committed businessman. He had the right to fuck whoever he wanted since he didn’t really have a fiancée, he only had a cousin who liked to tease him and piss him off. On second thought, he felt relieved.

He looked back at Asami, who finally finished that disgusting smoothie, and put his empty glass down onto the table. Aki took a deep breath and tried to compose the most wonderful sentence he could, but the end results somehow didn’t match his well thought-out words.

“Your… You… Y-your… Your cousin? Your cousin… Your… cousin?? Your parents were siblings? That kind of cousins? The ones that are related by blood, that kind of cousins?”

Rina only edged closer to Asami, leaning to him.

“Ryu, I think we broke him”, she half-whispered to her _cousin_.

“You were the one who broke him in the first place”, growled Asami, pushing the girls face away roughly. They really were family that was evident in that slight movement. “Now go home, I’ll fix him.”

“There’s no way in hell I let an emotionally ruined cutiepie in your care!” shrieked Rina, crawling towards Akihito on all fours. “Let’s go, the breakfast is going to get cold!”

“Rina, go home, nobody wants you here!” argued Asami with the girl, though it seemed that he was the only one absorbed in the fight.

“Akihito wants me here, don’t you Akihito?” she grabbed Aki’s head and tilted it in nodding motion.

“Why are you always hanging out here?” came the next heated question from the older man.

“I told you already, I’m visiting my favourite cousin”, beamed the girl, her hands still clutched in Akihito’s hair.

Asami seemed irritated as he saw how familiar the girl and Aki was already. Well, technically they were friends, even thought the girl for some reason tracked him down and forced her friendship onto Akihito. He still couldn’t see the whole plan of the evil mastermind.

“I’m your only cousin”, commented the man tiredly.

“That’s _so_ not true! There’s Shiro and… uuuum…” she got silent immediately.

“He’s not even related by blood”, continued Asami being a jerk, a smug smirk crawling onto his face.

“Oh my God, you’re so mean, Ryu!” whined Rina, and he started to pull Akihito towards the kitchen eventually.

They walked back into the kitchen and sat down by the table, Asami heading towards the microwave to heat up their food. Rina got back to her tablet, and Akihito only watched stiffly the board of the table, the expensive material reflecting all kind of lights from all over the place.

In the last twenty minutes he felt like an extra in a D-rated soap opera with the family issues, the crying and the temporary amnesia. He just wanted up and out as soon as he could because he needed to digest the happenings.

Suddenly a plate appeared right in front of his face, startling the boy so much that he jumped and bumped into Asami’s muscly torso. The man easily corrected the wrong movement: he put down the plate swiftly then pushed Akihito back onto his seat. He placed a fork right in front of the boy and turned away to bring Rina’s plate.

“It lacks pepper, Ryu”, chattered Rina as she dug into the food.

“How would you know? You can’t even cook”, countered the man, a satisfied smile blooming on his face.

“You’re a jerk!” gaped Rina, but she did not complain anymore regarding the food.

They ate their breakfast in silence, the only sound seemed to be the chirping of the birds that flew around the penthouse or rested on the handrail of the terrace. They could hear the faint song of some electronic music coming from one of the neighbours a few floors below.

When they finished, Akihito took up the task to put the plates into the dishwasher, and Asami went out to the terrace to grab a smoke, while Rina sat on the counter, drinking OJ from the box. She swung her feet back and forth, her energy evidently showing. In Akihito’s head the mass of questions still harboured, his mind still searching for the 1+1-s and explanations.

“You got your phone from him, didn’t you?” he asked finally, his back turned to Asami on the terrace.

“Yep, he had some business on the East Coast so he grabbed it for me”, nodded Rina enthusiastically.

She glanced out to Asami then beckoned Akihito closer to herself.

“He seems tough, but he’s such a softie, it’s hilarious”, she whispered into the boy’s ear.

“Don’t spoil Akihito with your idiotic theories”, walked Asami back into the kitchen. He stopped right in front of the fridge and grabbed a bottle of still water from it, “and go home, you do have an apartment not so far from here.”

Rina faintly blushed, her fringe falling right before her eyes.

“Well, um… To be honest, I don’t”, she said finally, barely audible.

“What do you mean you don’t?” asked Asami, his right eyebrow cocked.

“I got evicted last month”, she rattled out then jumped off the counter, her hands clasped in front of herself in a pleading motion, “Please let me stay here from now on as well!”

Asami looked at her with such a disturbed expression on his face that Akihito almost congratulated Rina for causing it. The other man only shook his head and raked through his dishevelled hair with his fingers. He seemed deep in thought.

“You mean to tell me, you lived here the past month?” sighed Asami, his voice so tired.

“Yeah… but you weren’t here, so I didn’t really disturb you…?”

Akihito slowly started to edge towards the kitchen door; letting the other two fight out their differences and problems seemed to be the best idea. Sure, he’d freak out if it turned out that one of his relatives lived in his home without him knowing, but on the other hand Rina could be understood perfectly well. He had a big bro-like cousin in her life like Asami, and she needed help. Of course she’d turn to him. Though her solution didn’t count the most effective and sincere. Moving in to someone else’s home without even notifying them seemed a bit harsh and selfish. Okay, hard times ask for hard measures, but still.

He walked out onto the terrace of the living room, feeling the scorching heat of the sun, and the damp hotness of the mid-summer. He didn’t even notice that the AC was working inside, only realizing after feeling the evident difference in the temperature. He grabbed the handrail and looked out onto the street where the cars passed by leisurely, being Sunday morning. He could see Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge when he leaned out a bit, and he got the crap startled out of him when two hands grabbed his waist.

“Be careful, I don’t want to see your brain splashed out on the sidewalk”, murmured Asami into his neck, nuzzling the boy’s hair.

“You never came to explain”, said Akihito, not just a bit of complaining evident in his voice.

“I needed to leave to New York the day after”, shrugged Asami, and his hands sneaked under Aki’s tank top, caressing the boy’s belly, “And you ran away before I had a chance to catch you.”

“What about Rina?” he asked, stalling the inevitable.

“What about her?” replied Asami, his confusion clear in his voice.

“She told you I’m meeting up with my ex”, explained Akihito, “she came to the café to make friends with me and probably to get us together. She said you told her about me?”

“That’s not how it happened, but the end of it is still the same: you’re here”, the man slowly kissed the meeting of Aki’s neck and shoulder, tenderly sucking the skin.

“Don’t mark me!” pushed Akihito his head away. “Last time I couldn’t change in the café for two weeks!”

Asami only hummed, then let go of the boy’s waist and stepped near him, his back to the railing. His head fell back, the sun lighting the perfect curve of his nose and mouth. Akihito felt the urge to kiss the man silly, though it sure would end up reversed – Asami’s magical kisses would steal his last resolves and captivate him forever and ever.

“You know, you should let her stay here”, said Akihito finally.

“I’ll let her; she’s irritating but she’s still family”, shrugged Asami.

“I didn’t know you were this health-freak, drinking disgusting smoothies and cooking your own breakfast with low or no salt and pepper at all”, he teased the man, his elbow bumping into Asami’s side.

“That’s the only way to keep my body fit”, shrugged the man, “and they actually taste good if you get used to them.”

“I can’t even imagine how many sit-ups you needed to do after you drank the whole Frappuccino”, giggled the boy. “Those things are practically sugar injected directly into your veins!”

Asami only hummed, but didn’t answer. It seemed on Sundays he had his sarcastic and smug self on a hanger in the closet as well. Akihito had his gaze wander all over him again: watching as his biceps contracted then relaxed. He examined the man’s abs through his t-shirt as well, wondering how the hell he remained so fit. Sure, he had at least a dozen times buttload of money, but money can’t buy these kinds of bodies without determination. He seemed to be some kind of an office worker, though not sure what kind (probably some manager/CFO/CEO), and he pretty sure did not have enough time to spend spare hours in the gym. So why did he looked like some kind of a Calvin Klein underwear model that just strutted off the runway?

Akihito thought about his own bit fatty lower regions, his body anything but fit. He needed to seriously reconsider training with Akira, since the other boy needed to keep himself in shape for the photo shoots and occasional other model performances. Maybe he could join him on his morning jogs or go to the gym with him two-three times a week.

They didn’t say anything for a long while, and some minutes later Asami walked back into the living room, leaving the door ajar. A light cold breeze touched Akihito from the AC, and he decided to follow the man. He still had so many questions piled up, and the list just seemed to grow longer and longer. He wanted to know what Asami did, why he needed to go overseas, why he had so much money, why he lived in a penthouse in the middle of freaking Shinjuku, why was he so in place in Sion and basically what the hell was his business with Akihito?

“So, the gun…” started Akihito, and he almost punched himself because of his no-filtered mouth.

Asami only glanced up from the newspaper he was reading. It seemed that he didn’t really have anything else to do with Akihito, so he started to freaking read the papers. It, for some reason, ticked Aki off so much.

“What about the gun, Akihito?” asked the man, an amused tone colouring his rich voice lower.

“Why do you carry a gun?”

“You don’t really want to know it, Akihito. And it’s better for you not knowing it as well”, replied Asami off-handed.

“I think I should know, since I’m already in it”, pouted the boy, then flopped down onto the sofa, hugging a pillow to his chest. “What do you want with me?”

Asami glanced at him, like Akihito was an idiot, and damn that man really made Aki feel like some kind of an inferior being, and he started to wonder whether he _really_ said something so stupid.

“C’mon, Ryu, tell him you want to date him”, chirped Rina from the door, dressed in a fancy sundress, made-up and her hair styled. “By the way, I’m off, so you two should do all the naughty stuff while I’m not in hearing vicinity!”

“I’d do it even if you were”, commented Asami just to throw Rina out of the loop.

“Yeah, I know you would, that’s why I’m fleeing”, shrugged the girl. “Good luck, Aki-chan!”

She left with those parting words, and the front door closed not so long after. Akihito could hear the auto-lock whirring while it activated.

Not even a second later he was already on his back, spread out onto the black plush of the sofa, Asami kneeling right above him, his hands resting on the boy’s shoulders and pushing him into the seating. One of the man’s knees nestled right between his legs, faintly touching his groin, and slowly rubbing against his currently resting manhood.

“Finally, you’re all mine”, growled Asami and he slowly leant in to kiss the petrified boy, “I need to punish you because you went against my order and moved from the bed.”

He caught Akihito’s mouth, teasing his lower lip with his teeth, his tongue rubbing the soft flesh. His practiced kisses slowly drove Akihito mad: he craved for more, he craved for Asami eating him up and swallowing him whole, and absorbing him into his tight, fit body. He never wanted to leave the man ever again. These mind-blowing kisses, his smug way of living, his freaking perfectness all lead to one thought in Akihito’s mind he wanted to desperately hide from.

_I’m in love with him._

The silent confession echoed through his every membrane, his cells charging with electricity and his whole mind emptying to it. He irreversibly fell in love with Asami Ryuichi, but not in this moment and not in the previous one. He probably fell head over heels the first time he saw the man strutting into the café and flirting his pants off during that short interaction. Since then he couldn’t get him out of his mind and soul, his body craving for the perfect man in front of him, the man of his dreams – even though he never knew he was the one, until he met him.

He let himself sink deeper, his final thoughts being the hopes of never regretting their passionate interaction. Rina said that Asami should ask him to go out with him. He’d say yes, because he’d never imagined that one day such a fine man would bang on his door to get inside his heart. Because now the man definitely seemed to ask for more than a one-night stand. And Akihito decided to give all of him to Asami and never look back. Maybe it was only a silly mistake of a boy in puppy love, but he didn’t care anymore.

“Bedroom”, he gasped between heated kisses, his mind flowing down the drain.

Asami sneaked his arms around the boy’s frail body, lifting him from the sofa. Akihito, to avoid slipping down, weaved his legs around the man’s waist, his half-hard cock rubbing against the hard abs of the man, while Asami’s erection poked his bottom.

Asami walked with confident steps towards the bedroom, and he didn’t really feel like someone who was carrying plus at least half of his weight. As he stepped into the bedroom, he didn’t go to the bed, but leaned against the wall, his back steadying his stance. One of his hands slowly crawled down onto Akihito’s butt, to support the boy’s weight, while the other started to rub the boy’s erection through his pants.

“Oh God”, whined Akihito, his forehead bumped against Asami’s shoulder.

“Akihito”, purred Asami in his ear and he slowly licked the shell.

Aki only glanced up and in that moment Asami caught his lips again, kissing the soul out of the boy. Their tongues entwined, hard to determine which belonged to who, and they started to grind against each other. 

“Legs”, said Asami, and Akihito let go of his waist, setting down back onto the floor.

To his utter surprise, Asami yanked off the boy’s pants and tossed them somewhere in the room. There he stood, without pants, with raging erection, while Asami only checked him out, making him more and more excited.

“Don’t watch, it’s embarrassing!” hissed Akihito, and tried to hide his cock with his hands.

“Come back”, reached out his hand Asami, leading the boy back to himself.

Akihito, though being one big bag of embarrassment, stepped up to the man, till they stood a breath’s away from each other. Asami closed the distance, pulling the boy into him, grabbing the perfect buttocks and squeezing them.

“Aah!” squeaked Akihito surprised, and a bit pained.

“You can’t come until I tell you to”, he whispered to the boy, biting down on his shoulder.

“Don’t mark me!” whined Akihito for the second time in the past thirty minutes, but Asami didn’t seem to care, he kissed, sucked and licked his skin, leaving red marks in a perfect line from the boy’s shoulder to his neck.

“You really think you can tell me what to and not to do?” smirked Asami, licking his perfectly sculpted lips.

Akihito didn’t answer, because he couldn’t. Asami’s two fingers entered his mouth, the man motioning him to lick them. Akihito hurriedly lapped the digits, delirious from Asami’s teasing mouth on his skin, and his other hand that mildly fondled his ass. His tongue started to tire, the muscle exhausted from the past minutes’ events. Though he didn’t dare to stop, still licking and lapping around the fingers in his mouth.

“That’s a good boy”, grinned Asami, him currently teasing Akihito’s nipples through the thin fabric of the tank top.

Akihito felt like going crazy, his core almost bursting from being teased in the back and in his mouth as well. Asami somehow knew his sweet spots, teasing them and making him whimper with only a touch. Maybe he was an astronomy freak who knew the erogenous zones based on a person’s horoscope? He started to grin because of the thought.

“What’s so funny, Akihito?” asked Asami, his pupils blown wide open, his irises almost disappearing in them, “Care to share?”

Aki only shook his head, still sucking on the fingers in his mouth. His hands grabbed Asami’s shoulders, helping him to stand steadily. His knees occasionally buckled, though he didn’t know what was still waiting for him.

Asami suddenly pulled the fingers out of his mouth, and he felt so empty without them. The man probably saw his expression, because in the next minute he pulled the boy closer and kissed him hard and long. His hand, with the well-salivated fingers, took its position and the first spit-coated digit entered his hole, sending shivers through his body.

“I’m going to have you today, even if I have to kill someone”, informed him the man, his seriousness evident in his voice.

“Take whatever you want”, sighed Akihito, giving up all of his resolves finally, enjoying the moment.

Asami only bit down on his lower lip, looking deep into the boy’s eyes, their desire connecting through the intense gazes. Akihito didn’t dare to blink, he was afraid it was all a dream and he’d wake up finally if he closed his eyes. He gasped and moaned, pushing against Asami’s probing finger, letting him loosen up his backside for another finger.

He slowly sneaked down his hands between their bodies, touching and stroking Asami’s muscles then he hooked his fingers in Asami’s waistband and slowly pulled down his pants, freeing his erect cock. He pushed his hard-on against the man’s impressive one, and held them together with one hand, while the other made experimental strokes. His own cock was already glistening with his pearly pre-cum, his tip weeping with excitement. He ran his palm through the liquid, gathering enough to use it as lubricant, then he started to stroke and pump their shafts together, moaning into Asami’s shoulder.

The third finger entered him, while he jerked themselves off, and he could hardly wait to have Asami’s thick shaft rammed into him, getting lost in the ecstasy. The man’s fingers curled and scissored, widening the pucker of the boy, making sure that his cock won’t tear him in two.

“I want you”, whined Akihito, biting into Asami’s shoulder through his t-shirt, shivering with the excitement of both his front and back having some action going on.

“Where did you learn to be so seductive?” asked Asami, catching the boy’s lips again in a passionate kiss.

“Maybe I was born with it”, replied the boy cheekily, but in the next moment Asami’s fingers grazed his prostate and he gasped in excitement.

Asami pulled out his fingers, and grabbed the boy’s thighs, lifting him up into the air. Akihito, in panic, let go of their hard-ons, and sneaked his legs around the man’s waist to steady himself. His cum-stained hands pressed against the expensive wallpaper over Asami’s shoulders, leaving white palm marks and fingerprints on it.

“Put it in”, shrieked Akihito, his patience wearing thin, as his cock felt so lonely without Asami’s huge member next to it. Maybe he’d feel better if the man filled him up, getting into him till the hilt of his huge cock.

“Patience, Akihito”, grinned Asami, and he slowly started to grind his erection between the boy’s ass cheeks, making Aki gasp and wheeze in pleasure and excitement.

Finally he angled his shaft, and pointed the tip to the soft ring of muscle that lead into the boy’s heaven. He pushed it in a little bit, testing the waters, and when he felt that there was little or no resistance, he rammed his cock into the boy in one swift motion.

“Too… quick”, stuttered Akihito, his eyes half-lidded in pleasure.

“If it was slow and not painful at all, it wouldn’t be a punishment, would it?” lectured him Asami, pulling his shaft out a bit, then ramming it back in.

Akihito gasped in pleasure, his legs squeezing tighter around the muscly waist of Asami. He felt all of his nerve endings standing on attention, waiting for Asami’s next movement, and he didn’t have to wait long. As Asami grabbed his bottom again, his cock buried deep in it, he started to ram into the boy with steady movements. He leaned against the wall again, supporting both of their weight as he held themselves, and Akihito could only do so much, while his legs strained to keep him on, and his hands on Asami’s shoulders, his nails buried in the fabric and indirectly in the man’s skin.

He felt his up-building orgasm; Asami’s stroking his pleasure spot over and over again thanks to the angle of the penetration. If he saw themselves from outside, mating like some wild animals, he’d sure as hell be impressed with Asami’s strength, since the man swung his hips with such ease holding the boy, and he still could go faster and faster.

“Oh, God, Asa… Asami…” he gasped, his mind filling with hot, white nothingness.

“You can’t come yet, Akihito”, he said strictly, pulling his cock almost entirely out of the boy.

“No… oh!” whined the boy, but he soon was filled up again.

He felt like Asami’s shaft reached till his stomach, churning up all of his insides and making a mess out of him. And he didn’t really mind it, he wanted Asami to taint every nook and canny of his body, cum into him until he filled to the brim and could never get rid of the man’s mark in him. He needed to feel that he belonged to this man, even if just for now.

“Come inside…” he panted, one of his hands crawling up to cradle Asami’s head and turn his gaze to himself. He locked eyes with the man, and whispered, “Please, do it.”

Asami’s movements started to get hurried, his ramming got faster, his fondling more aggressive, and Akihito’s ass felt like cookie dough that was almost ready to be put into the oven. His cock rubbed against Asami’s abdomen, the t-shirt staining with his continuously dripping pre-cum.

“Please, let me come!” shrieked Akihito, as Asami made his mission to rub and grind his huge member against Aki’s prostate as much as he can, while having his load squeezed out of him by the contracting muscles as well.

“Not yet, Akihito”, nuzzled the man his nose into Aki’s hair, and his ramming didn’t stop even for a moment. He started to breathe heavily, his eyelids also dropping, half-hiding his blown out eyes.

“Oh, please, Ryuichi”, moaned the boy, and however hard he tried, he couldn’t make himself stop, his cock started to fill up, ready to shoot.

“Not yet”, said the man again, his squeezing getting tighter and tighter on Akihito’s butt, the clear signal of him getting close to his satisfaction as well.

“I can’t…” started Akihito, but he couldn’t finish, as in the next moment his white hot cum shot out, staining Asami’s t-shirt and his own as well. He collapsed onto Asami, grabbing the man’s neck for support. Asami only leaned closer and kissed the boy passionately, him nearing his climax as well.

Akihito felt as Asami’s sperm hit his insides, and as he rode out his own orgasm, he squeezed every last drop out of Asami’s raging member, helping him fill up his own insides with the man’s juice. 

Asami, after steadying himself to stand, walked to the bed, and dropped Akihito down, shoving the boy’s face into the recliner. This was a familiar situation to the boy, and he unconsciously got excited again, his erection slowly building back again.

“You didn’t receive permission to come”, commented the man, and Akihito felt his again-erect cock line up against his still gaping hole, “You never learn, Akihito. This asks for a punishment, again.”

“Do as you wish, I’m all yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yepp they finally had proper sex, banzaii!!
> 
> Comments are appreciated!!
> 
> Till next time :33


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> I moved in to my new place successfully and started to work :))
> 
> and here's the new chapter of course, haha.
> 
> I have received prompts to write Asami's POV during the happenings, so I did just like that. I hope it didn't really got that OOC, I tried hard.
> 
> Hugs

_5 months before_

The night’s end when he could go home and finally catch some sleep neared closer, his extra round of visiting the bars and pubs belonging to _Sion_ group finally reaching its last stop. The bar, that stood just on the border of 2-chome, the gay district, belonged to him since he could remember, though the managers changed time to time. The current manager, the strict but lovely Hanako-san, called especially for him to visit. Probably with a new offer for an omiai. Not with her. She always tried to get him to meet one or two of her acquaintances from everywhere age-wise. He always declined politely, his interest in both women and men being quite peculiar, the boring upper-class people never entertaining him enough.

He looked for someone fresh, someone interesting, someone amusing – from either gender. It didn’t really matter nowadays anyway, especially not if you owned 80% of Tokyo’s and probably Japan’s underworld. No member from this kind of class made the mistake of criticizing their opponents or boss, most of these people having the same orientation as well. What do you call it? Bisexual? No, not necessarily. Pansexual probably? If he’d find someone worthy of his attention they can be whatever they want to – anyone is welcomed.

Maybe he counted as weird – he didn’t drown in cocaine, luxury cars and designer accessories, and apartments all over the world. Sure, he bought some flats in a few critical cities where he visited frequently, his _headquarters_ taking place in Europe, America and even in Australia. But he never obsessed with money, he bought he wanted: not more, not less. Though on second thought, his only addiction seemed to be brand whiskey, needing at least one tumbler in his system every night.

His attitude of not being focused only on the typical things has shown in picking his lovers as well. Though he only picked up everybody for one-night. He never really shared his bed with anybody longer than a weekend. Everybody, who he went to bed with, claimed that they had their best night ever, and tried to keep in touch. But he declined each and every one of them afterwards. They proved to be boring and without any real personality, they wanted fame and fortune, being by the side of _the_ Asami Ryuichi. And he didn’t give it to them. Ever.

He walked by the bar just after closing time, his work and other errands taking up most of his night. If he declined quickly, he’d be home by five. That means he could get about three hours of sleep. Four, if he skipped breakfast and his morning run on the treadmill.

He despised the treadmill, binding him to one point, taking away any chance of seeing nature. Yes, he needed to use the machine because he’d be assassinated in a minute if he stepped outside without Kirishima and Suoh, and the other two never seemed too fond of any cardio exercises. They always applied for being sparring partners, but never running. He needed to go somewhere where no one knew him and no one can track him, and go for a run outside. Also, if he goes on like this any further, he’d be Vitamin D deprived forever.

“Asami-sama, it so lovely to see you!” Hanako-san stood before the bar, evidently waiting for him. She bowed her head, her admiration beaming through her attitude.

“It’s my pleasure, Hanako-san”, replied Asami, and he tried so hard to concentrate on the business they had at hand.

“Unfortunately, my useless barkeeper already mopped the main entrance, so we need to enter from the backdoor”, she said sullenly.

“I thought that a proactive bartender counts as a good one”, commented Asami inquiring.

The pout that formed on Hanako-san’s face was so entertaining that Asami almost cracked a smirk.

“He’s just a useless boy who couldn’t even find a job with his _so worthy_ degree”, she said, her mocking quite a bit irritating, “I can’t really understand these youth nowadays, they go to universities only to study something worthless they can’t even get a job with.”

“Well, I, myself studied IBA earnestly as well, though economists, and especially management students flood the market”, explained Asami tiredly”, they can hardly find suitable jobs, and still here I am. So it is not worthless to go to university.”

“Of course not, Asami-sama, only something like this boy had studied, photography, and generally the arts. They are such useless studies, anyone can do them perfectly well”, countered Hanako-san, trying to save face.

“Of course they can”, sighed the man, not wanting to argue anymore, because this close-minded woman wouldn’t listen to anything he’d try to reason.

Having no perspective on the world and being so ignorant of others passions made Hanako-san just the same as everyone he encountered with daily. They have never tried to open towards the unknown, never really had any experience outside their comfort zone. People like her only denied everything that they didn’t know and never really spared a thought to sympathize with the unknown or just try being neutral with it. Not to mention to get to know them.

He had experience in various places, he worked as a bartender during his years at university, and he also tried his fair share of everything. He even succeeded as a makeshift drifter for some months during his studies, though he abandoned his winning strike after a thorough raid from the police. He never got caught or tracked down though, but afterwards he needed to focus more on his studies, his thesis and of course starting to build his empire. 

Basically, his views weren’t that unconventional, but he let himself be more flexible, getting to know every side of the story. That’s why he invested in gay bars, casinos, clubs and even arcades. Some of his properties weren’t the usual ones, other investors only seen them as not-worthy. But he found the rough diamonds and pampered them until they could grow and support themselves and afterwards make profit.

“Well, Asami-sama”, chimed in his nostalgia Hanako-san, “I have called for you today, because one of my friends’ daughter would be delighted to have a personal meeting with you.”

_Really? I would have never imagined._

They walked towards the alley that lead towards the back-door of the bar. He’d take the opportunity and have a scotch, on the house, because he needed to endure another round of procurement in vain. He always tells Hanako-san not to worry about his marital status, but the woman seemed to make her personal goal in life to have him marry someone as soon as possible.

They rounded the corner, and as they entered the alley, Asami could see a boy in black apron standing just by the backdoor, surrounded by six or so men. The boy seemed so petite, his shoulder to hip ratio almost 1:1. His light coloured hair glinted in the night light of the back door, his eyes filled with malicious intents. He seemed to be out and ready for blood.

He glanced at them, their eyes meeting briefly, the boy checking him out. Asami couldn’t help the smirk that took over his face, the bartender shown his orientation with only this spared glance. His gayness shone through his strict façade.

When the first thug from the circle started for the boy Asami automatically reached for his gun, the intent to protect the boy, to have him out there without any scratch welling up in him in a moment. But the boy didn’t need a protector; he punched the guy, then grabbed his arm and twisted it until a loud crack filled the alley then the man’s pained scream. The others didn’t seem to notice the act, though the sounds were still lingering in the air, but they still attacked the boy who only kicked and punched them, cracked eyebrows and lips open and torn strands of hairs out.

“I advise we go inside, Asami-sama”, rattled off Hanako-san, her fear and irritation echoing in her voice.

“I want to see the end of this”, replied calmly the man and leaned against the wall, putting a cigarette in his mouth.

This boy was something. His fine figure hid his fighting skills, though he didn’t always play fairly. But in these kinds of fights everything is allowed since he fought alone against six other. Though the six seemed to be drunken asses.

When the fight ended, and the boy got rid off his evidently radiating anger, he only hurriedly aimed for the door, Asami and Hanako-san stood beside in the shadows, probably getting back to finish his tasks for the day.

Looking at him at closer, and from another angle, this boy was just his type: the innocent-looking but vicious savage, the one that needed to be tamed and disciplined. His lean figure contracted with toned muscles under his work shirt, his perky ass round and perfectly fitting into two palms.

Asami wanted more than anything to hold those perfect buttocks in his hands while he pounded into the boy until he cried and whined for mercy. He seemed such an interesting creature, fighting like an animal that had already lost everything and still stayed focused on being quick and efficient, getting back to his task as soon as possible.

He wanted this boy.

As the bartender walked by him, immersed in thoughts, he unconsciously reached out to tap his shoulder and woo him into his bed for the night. He didn’t need sleep if he could recharge with some work-out. Hell, he’d give up one weeks worth of sleep if he could ravish the boy until he only remained a broken, whining mess with flushed skin, and purplish kiss marks all over his fair skin, lying in his bed between the expensive Egyptian sheets. He’d fit perfectly, getting spoiled and disciplined at the same time. He seemed to be the type not letting himself be pampered: fighting against every type of kindness and chivalrous acts towards him.

The moment Asami’s fingers touched the still constricted shoulder he knew he made a fatal mistake. The boy stopped dead in his track and in one flawless motion swung his elbow right in his face, the bone connecting with cartilage. Asami was really out of it: though he sparred with his men regularly, not just to practice self-defence but also to stay in shape, he couldn’t dodge the attack. His thoughts interfered with his reflexes and thanks to his meekness, his nose most probably cracked from the forceful impact.

_Kirishima will have some things to say about this._

Asami stepped back while reaching for the handkerchief tucked in his breast pocket, and held the fabric under his nose, since he could already feel blood oozing from it. The boy definitely held more force in his body than it seemed. The boy’s body seemed so much smaller than his own: their sizes would perfectly complement each other, entwining in bed not just during sex but sleep as well.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything to him, to get his attention pointed at himself, when Hanako-san screeched from the sidelines. Asami totally forgot about the presence of the woman.

“AKIHITO!!!”

The boy spun around, his face becoming paler and paler. He looked for his boss, a fearful expression printed on his face. They locked gazes, the boy looking like a deer caught in the headlights then he slowly moved into a defensive stance, probably ready for the next fight for his life.

“Asami-sama, I am truly sorry for what this idiot of a bartender did!” stuttered Hanako-san as she jumped right next to the boy and bowed so low, she could touch the ground with the tips of her hair. She grabbed the boy as well and pulled him down to a similar bow.

“Akihito!” she warned the boy, her elbow piercing right between his ribs.

“I apologize because of my rash act”, muttered the boy eventually, his tone anything but apologetic.

He did right, he wasn’t the culprit there, defending himself after someone surprised him with a sudden touch after a street fight. Asami also would shoot someone if they crept up on him after a conflict: it’s only natural instinct.

“Akihito, put down your apron in the dressing room and don’t ever show your face here again!” stormed Hanako-san to the boy who only stiffened then without any word stood straight up and left through the backdoor.

Asami started forward to go after the boy, but Hanako-san stepped right in front of him, closing every opportunity to ever get after him. He almost pushed the woman out of the way, stomping through the bar until he found the boy, but he had a reputation that he needed to keep up, and a sudden urge to fuck a boy shouldn’t make him go berserk.

“Asami-sama, I think we should find your secretary and go to a hospital to have your nose checked out”, wailed the manager, her hand already clutching her phone.

“No, it’s not necessary. I want to have a talk with the boy”, brushed off Asami the concern, just trying to at least get the boy know that he wasn’t at fault.

“I insist!” shrieked Hanako-san gripping his upper arm and squeezing it.

Asami didn’t want some random woman to worry about him, he already had a mother and that was perfectly enough for him. He needed to control himself not to lash out because he knew that the concern was genuine, but still he instead wanted to reach out to the boy. Still he nodded and Hanako-san dragged him out of the alley and towards his car, Kirishima already standing alarmed.

“What’s the boy’s name?” asked Asami from the manager.

“Please, Asami-sama, I know I spoke harsh about him, but he’s still just a poor graduate”, begged Hanako-san, “please, don’t hurt him.”

Asami only rolled his eyes, swallowing the comment about Hanako-san mercilessly firing the boy after she witnessed the whole fight. And pretty sure she paid him the minimum imaginable wage as well. He could discuss who could do the worst to the boy.

“I don’t intend to hurt him”, explained Asami, and he got into the back seat, Suoh already starting the engine of the car, “I’m just interested, and that is all.”

“Takaba Akihito”, bowed Hanako-san her voice evidently showing her defeated state.

The next moment Kirishima closed his door and walked around the car to get into the passenger seat. He closed his own door as well and fastened his seatbelt, and they were on their way to the closest clinic that belonged to Sion group.

“Kirishima, I want you to investigate someone”, started Asami. He glanced out the window into the lightening horizon far from the city.

“Who is it and what would you like to know, Asami-sama?” asked Kirishima, his tablet already in hand and opening the notepad.

“Takaba Akihito”, mused Asami, the name comfortably rolling down his tongue, “photography major. I want to know everything about him, even his shoe size and the pattern of his underwear.”

“I see to it, Asami-sama”, replied Kirishima immediately, though Asami didn’t miss the quick glance he shared with Suoh.

 

_2 months before_

He never liked to schedule meetings to mornings. And he really despised the fact that they stuck in the mid-morning traffic coming back from a meeting from the other side of the city. Though he ran on 4 hours sleep per day, he still liked to get back into the details and the daily loop before attending a meeting. But the Americans were hard to negotiate with, the 18 hour time difference between Japan and the West Coast, and the difference of the date making their lives harder and their business meeting schedule upside-down. The Los Angeles division seemed to have some negotiation problems and accounting errors that made hard for them to move forward onto the next step, though the opening of the new exclusive club in Long Beach approached rapidly.

He sat on the same backseat he did every day, papers spread all over the leather and calculations and business plans printed all over them. The Americans thought they could fuck him over, him being Japanese meaning he can be lead around by his nose. Well, they had a shitty prediction, because Asami Ryuichi definitely was not the little fish they thought he was.

And still he couldn’t concentrate. He received the weekly report regarding the search of Takaba Akihito and they still had almost zero information about the boy. His employment in the bar proved to be illegal, no trace of his personal information anywhere there. With the information they gathered from Hanako-san they were able to find out the exact dates of the boy’s enrolment in university, and with connecting with the university they could gain the basic personal information as well. They knew that the boy originally came from Fukuoka where he lived with his parents in one of the middle-class suburbs. His mother, before becoming a housewife to raise Akihito, worked as a reporter for a weekly magazine, while his father still was employed by one of the daily papers as a crime photojournalist. So the aspiration for Akihito to go to study photography at the university came from his parents.

And that’s all the relevant information they succeeded to gather. They also got the at that time current address of the boy however when they went to check out the premises it turned out that he got evicted and left some days before to an unknown place. He paid the rent with cash, since he earned cash at the bar, so they couldn’t trace his bank account. The neighbours knew nothing new about him, the information about Fukuoka and the bar and the university being the ones they could only share. And some creep from the other building seemed to know more about the boy’s schedule than it was necessary for him. He might have ended up with a few broken bones being a stalker.

It seemed like the boy dropped off the surface of the Earth, and nobody knew where he went. He didn’t go back to Fukuoka since he didn’t show up at home. And even though Japan was a small country with a lot of people, none of them seemed to have seen the boy riding any kind of public transportation either.

Asami even contacted some acquaintances in the government as well, and the official documents of the boy seemed to be either expired or contained the already known information. Though he proved to be a valid person called Takaba Akihito, he still acted just like a ghost, never showing anywhere and not leaving a trace wherever he went. Asami even had the thought that the boy may have been a secret agent or even a cop who investigated Asami’s business being a bartender in one of his facilities. After having close to no information of the boy, this possibility was just as plausible as anything else.

He sighed and closed his eyes, massaging his right temple with his fingers, crumpling the report in his left hand. It seemed to be impossible to find that boy, his only connection, the bar, never fulfilling his expectations. Even the frequenters knew close to nothing about the boy, only the fact that he had a boyfriend for a long time from university and that he studied photography. He never spilled more about himself, leading the topics into another direction every given time. It seemed like he didn’t want to be found ever in his life if something went wrong. And look, something went wrong and now he cannot be found.

Asami only felt like shooting everyone he encountered with after reading the nothing-new-report, his thoughts revoking everything he had seen of the boy when they met that night. Unfortunately he couldn’t even remember his hair colour or the colour of his eyes because of the darkness of the alleyway. He questioned himself the hundredth time at least whether he really wanted the boy or not, because the resources to find him seemed to be going to waste at the moment.

Takaba Akihito went missing in action.

Asami dropped the crumpled paper onto the seat and reached for a cigarette to ease his irritation. They said he employed the best private detectives and had the best connections in the underworld to find out everything about everyone and yet he really couldn’t find a boy in the beginning of his twenties who hadn’t even had anybody to hide him or any reason to go into refugee either.

Suoh suddenly stepped onto the break, the car stopping immediately and quite unexpectedly. The papers all over Asami flew to the carpet of the car, him being held at his place by his seatbelt. The car behind them honked harshly at them, it seemed the driver plastered himself to the button.

“Suoh!” exclaimed Asami angrily, the ash from his cigarette dropping onto the thigh of his designer suit pants.

“I apologize, Asami-sama, but it seems there was an accident right in front of us”, answered Suoh, his always collected attitude not failing him this time either.

“Would you like to have a coffee or tea, Asami-sama?” inquired Kirishima, “I know that you haven’t had proper breakfast after last night’s… activities.”

Yesterday night they had a showdown at one of the drug smuggling warehouses of the Korean mafia, the whole thing ending in a bloodbath. The Koreans were efficiently eliminated, the leaders interrogated then mutilated until they weren’t recognizable anymore and then they went to sleep permanently with the fishes.

Asami spared a glance at the nearby fancy glass-walled café that opened a few months prior. He never was overly fond of either coffee or coffee shops, especially for the ones that sell these kinds of sugary milks with a little hint of coffee powder mixed in it. When he attended university he sometimes visited one or two of them with some of his one-night stands, or just alone to pick up someone, but he only had indirect experience with the drinks, the still lingering taste disgustingly sweet in the mouth of the partner during their kisses. Though this place seemed to attract a lot of people, mainly females, having superb environment and nice, hot staff. Or at least that’s how they advertised the place and how the people talked about it.

He almost turned back tiredly to one of the accounting reports, he picked up from the carpet, to continue his preparation for his upcoming meeting when his eyes caught the perfect butt of a boy spread over a table outside, the owner of said ass scrubbing the surface with a rag. He entertained himself watching as the black jeans embraced the perfect form of the barista, the buttocks just the right size and shape. Some girls went to stand next to the boy, talking to him rapidly and excitedly. The barista boy only hushed them, still focusing on the cleaning. And Asami continued to watch, deciding that a fuckable butt worth all of his precious time. And they still stood in the middle of the road, a traffic jam just forming behind them.

The next moment the boy stood up straight and turned to talk to the girls. And it was Takaba Akihito.

“Kirishima, I’d have that…”, started Asami hurriedly, unfastening his seatbelt and already reaching for the door handle.

He couldn’t even finish the sentence when their car started to move again, Takaba Akihito and his makeshift harem slowly fading away in the distance. Asami almost thought about shooting the shifting gear and getting back into the coffee shop to finally have Takaba Akihito (to be honest he could have done him in the restrooms), but he still needed to contain his animalistic urges, and still had his reputation that could be easily ruined by one or two of his childish temper tantrums. And also he wasn’t some lovesick puppy to waggle his tail at the sight of the boy. He knew where he worked and that was definitely enough.

To think that Takaba Akihito worked right before his eyes, only ten minutes from his office on foot. He definitely needed to visit as soon as he could.

“Kirishima, do I have any lunch-meeting today?” asked Asami, though as far as he could remember today’s schedule mainly consisted of the problematic American business, his lunch free and untouched.

“Your cousin scheduled a lunch with you two weeks ago”, replied Kirishima almost immediately, though he still searched for the day’s schedule on his tablet.

“When?”

“12:30, sir”, answered his assistant obediently.

“Make it 1:00 pm”, ordered Asami smirking, “I have something to deal with before that.”

 

_4 weeks before_

He finally had Takaba Akihito in his grasp, he almost scored a homerun with him and marked the boy his forever, but no, Rina had to walk in on them.

“I hope that you have a good reason to come here at this time of the night”, he started irritated as he walked out to meet his cousin. The girl wore a sparkling blue cocktail dress, her high heels dangling from her pointing finger. She seemed not just a bit tipsy and exhausted.

Rina started ranting without any filter. He only held up his hand to stop the girl and start a normal conversation with reasons, like grown-ups. Though for Rina it sure was a hard feat.

“I had a crappy day, let me crash here for tonight”, sighed the girl, dropping her shoes onto the floorboard and starting towards the master bedroom.

“I’d be overjoyed if you’d left immediately. Your flat is just, what, 5 or tops 10 minutes walk from here?” argued Asami, and he grabbed the girl’s shoulder stopping her. He felt his previous excitement draining slowly and steadily.

Takaba Akihito lay in his bed _finally_. And here he stood, having a pointless fight with his drunken cousin who decided that it seemed such a wonderful idea staying the night. The girl wouldn’t leave however hard he’d try – he knew it from experience. But Takaba Akihito still was here and they still had it going and Rina dropped in uninvited and she won’t get away. Maybe he could convince her to go stay in Kirishima’s flat the floor below. Or Suoh’s. Or anyone else’s on that matter. Maybe she could listen to reasons.

“You can’t stay here for now, go home or to one of your friends’ place!” 

He started to get desperate and thought about simply throwing the girl out, being drunk or not.

“C’mon Ryu, I wanna eat your gluten-free pancakes when I wake up tomorrow morning with the hangover I deserved after tonight”, whined the girl and she grabbed the cuff of his bathrobe and yanked it many times.

“Get out of here, I’m busy”, he warned her eventually, his patience wearing thin.

“You ditched me last month when I finally had the chance to grab lunch with you! You may think that you’re busy, but I am _waaay_ more busier than you, Mr. Fancypants!” Rina entered drunken-self-confidence mode. Again. They were lost.

“Okay, go to the guest room, I don’t care whatever you hear, just keep quiet and don’t bother me”, hissed Asami, giving up on doing anything with the girl.

“I wanna sleep in your bed, Cous’”, she chattered and skipped towards the bedroom where Takaba Akihito lay in the bed. Or sat. Or whatever but he was in that room, probably freaking out and hiding.

Rina always had the talent to make herself the most important person in the room, but now it won’t happen. He won’t let her trample over his careful seduction, ruining all of his best laid plans and chances with the boy. Fuck, he, for the first time, felt like actually starting something serious with someone, getting to know Takaba Akihito better tipping him towards the positive side as well. Though he would never admit it aloud ever. And he was almost there, he could almost get Takaba Akihito to agree to their something more.

“Please, Rina, don’t make me throw you out forcefully”, took hold of the handle Asami, while the girl tried to open the door, pushing the wood of it.

“Why can’t I come up sometimes to meet you?” asked Rina suddenly, and the serious tone of the question surprised him.

Rina took the opportunity in his confusion, and pushed the door open, showing them the now empty room. Asami’s clothes were scattered all over the floor, but Akihito’s were all gone. He glanced towards the closed door of the bathroom, knowing that the boy hid there. Right now, probably, he was plastered all over the door, listening to every little noise and voice that could warn him of danger.

“How did you even get the keycard?” he asked angrily, though he sure as hell had the right idea where she acquired it: she stole it from Kirishima.

“Oh, I asked Kirishima for a copy”, answered the girl naturally, “And he told me that you already left for the night.”

“I’m highly convinced that he also mentioned that I was with a guest”, he grumbled, his patience flying out the window, though one little string still remained intact.

“Oh, Ryu, don’t be so mad”, giggled the girl, “I’m your fiancée after all.”

“RINA!”

He couldn’t believe it that his own cousin would betray him like this. And to top it, she did it with the fiancée story. He felt like strangling the girl, though before that he needed to catch Takaba Akihito before he fled forever. 

As he still argued with Rina, about personal space, private lives and not knocking or ringing the bell before entering someone else’s house, he heard the faint whirring of the auto-lock from the ganken and in that moment he knew that Takaba Akihito slipped out of his grasp with indefinite damage. He hurried out of the bedroom, through the flat and right outside to the stairs; he knew that Akihito ran away using the stairs, not daring to stall waiting for the elevator.

He kicked open the door to the stairway and called Akihito’s name, but the only answer was the faint sound of a door closing, probably on the ground floor where Akihito ran out into the crowd. He could never catch him now, especially not in his bathrobe.

He strutted back into his flat, to his bedroom to chew Rina out. The girl already lay in the bed, her dress and underwear dropped onto the floor, and the door of his closet hanging wide open, evidence that Rina borrowed his clothes to sleep in.

“I almost made a boy come on that bed less than ten minutes ago”, he said tiredly then turned around and walked towards the living room.

The scattering sound of Rina hurryingly fighting herself out of the cocoon of the sheets and the bed, the thump of her falling onto the floor and the faint cursing didn’t really ease his angry mood, but at least Rina got part of her punishment as well. She’ll atone for her sins later.

He walked out to the living room, preparing to drink himself another tumbler of whiskey. He was almost there when he heard shuffling coming from the corridor.

“Ryu, phone!” bubbled Rina as she brought his ringing device in her hand.

Asami took it and without looking at the screen answered.

“Asami”, he said, trying to get rid of his still raging anger in his voice, and he dropped down onto the sofa tiredly.

“Asami-sama, I am terribly sorry to disturb you even though you’re with a guest”, came Kirishima’s voice from the other side.

“Who is it, your boytoy?” asked Rina, climbing over the back of the couch, laying her head on Asami’s closer thigh. She took her cousin’s free hand and put it into her hair, and motioned to him to pet her.

“No, it’s Kirishima”, sighed Asami tiredly, obeying the request from the girl.

“So it’s your mantoy, almost the same”, she giggled.

“What is it, Kirishima?” inquired Asami because the other man still didn’t say anything.

“There’s a problem with the New York account”, came the slow answer.

“Problem means…?” asked Asami tiredly.

“Tomorrow morning we need to go there to renegotiate the contract and to track down the building company’s board of directors”, replied Kirishima professionally, “I only need your approval of the matter, I sent the documents over via e-mail.”

“When are we leaving?”

“Where do you go?” asked Rina curiously, her eyes popping open.

“New York”, he answered tiredly.

“Oh my! The new iPhone just came out, pretty please…”, she started to rant again, but Asami clasped her mouth shut.

“At 8:00 am in the morning”, informed him Kirishima.

_Basically, I have no chance to explain myself for God knows how long._

He didn’t answer, only cancelled the call and dropped his phone onto the cushion. He felt utterly exhausted, and quite unsatisfied. He didn’t even know how long will it take till he can come back to Tokyo, because if they go to the East Coast then they should go to the West Coast as well, and building new partnerships also counted as priority.

“Why did I ever start to build my legal image?” he sighed, more to himself.

“Cause this way you can seduce young boys without the whole evil boss aura”, answered Rina and a yawn escaped her.

“I didn’t ask you”, he grumbled, pinching the girl’s nose.

“Who was the boy?” inquired Rina excitedly; “You never introduce me to any of your partners!”

“And there is one or two good reasons why not”, he countered and now he started to crave for another drink of whiskey.

“C’mon, tell me something about him!” she nagged him relentlessly.

“There is no way you will get to know anything from me”, answered Asami strictly.

“Ryu, don’t be such a grumpy-pants”, whined Rina dramatically, “I could help you with this or that, you know, Rina in action and all that crap?”

“I definitely do not need your help with him, you’d only scare him away. Oh, actually, tonight you already did.”

Rina stayed silent for a couple of seconds, probably contemplating the things that happened and the things she already knew. The silence was welcomed, letting the man to rake through his mind as well, trying to come up with a solution to get back on track with Akihito.

Or maybe he shouldn’t pursue this indefinite something with a regular individual.

“I’m sorry, Ryu”, yawned Rina, on the verge of sleep.

“I know”, he answered, then dragged the comforter from the back of the sofa and laid it out onto his cousin.

 

_Two days before_

When Rina’s first text arrived he already knew that her plan got into motion. Though he never told anything about Akihito to the girl, she still found him, and basically forced the boy to accept her company. One of the cheapest tricks in Rina’s arsenal, though not the last one.

As for finding him, Rina most probably went through the reports in his home office. He never left documents laying all over the place so Rina pretty sure picked the lock of his drawer and read everything about Takaba Akihito. And the name and address of the café was written in the reports as well after finding the boy. 

The fact that she regularly (basically) stalked the boy didn’t make him any happier. While he stayed in the States he received at least one candid shot of Akihito every single day, most of them during work. And it irritated him. Though he didn’t know whether Rina’s closeness to the boy was the one factor that ticked him off, or the fact that he cannot easily stroll into the café because he was thousands of miles away.

Then, when he finally returned to Tokyo, he received the news from Rina that Takaba Akihito planned to meet up with his ex boyfriend. If the boy decided to get back together with his ex then he’d need more than a few wooing glances and seducing words – though it wasn’t impossible to steal the boy back.

“They’ll go to that helluva fancy American diner in Roppongi”, informed him Rina, full force on getting Akihito together with Asami.

So, there he was in “that helluva fancy American diner in Roppongi” sitting in a private booth with some business associates who loved eating on someone else’s conto. Not that he couldn’t afford it, but he knew that the men only counted as decoy for him, to have a reason to come to the restaurant. He had a clear view on the door and the whole floor of the restaurant where he sat, and any minute Akihito and that other guy could walk in.

And indeed some minutes later Takaba Akihito entered the place, though all alone. If the other guy didn’t come, Asami’d buy him a drink then start again where they left off the last time. His wishful thinking lasted fifteen more minutes when one mildly good-looking boy entered the place and started for Akihito. They talked something then the other boy sat down and scanned through the menu.

“What do you think, Asami-sama?” asked one of the associates suddenly and he needed to force himself to look at the man while answering.

Afterwards more and more questions came, and he had less and less time and opportunity to look at Akihito and his ex. He clearly saw when the boy marched out of the restaurant, half a second later he was also on his feet and hurried after Akihito and his ex who followed him.

He found them in an alleyway, the other guy pushing Akihito up the wall, his hand already in Akihito’s pants. Asami could feel his vision turning red, his killing intent multiplying by the second. That Kai punk won’t live for long if he continues with his act.

“I’d advise you to step away from Takaba Akihito about right now”, he said strictly, giving the guy the chance not to get shot on the spot, though the urge welled up in him with multiplied force.

“Asami!” gasped Akihito surprised, though his face was still pushed to the wall.

“And just who are you?” The punk named Kai asked irritated, only paying half of his attention to Asami.

“Let Akihito go”, enunciated Asami again, ready to fight it out.

“Or what?” The other man didn’t even budge, only shoved Akihito more to the wall showing his thought superiority.

Asami decided in that moment that he’s going to beat the crap out of that punk if he stalled forward, hurting Akihito during his act. As he watched them, he could see the scratches on the boy’s face from the hard rubbing of the cinderblock wall.

He strutted forward, and grabbed Kai’s t-shirt. He yanked him from Akihito and sent him flying through the alley, landing in-between a horde of filled trash bags. He didn’t care about that guy anymore; he walked up to the shivering Akihito and draped his suit jacket over the boy’s shoulders. He started to lead Akihito out of the alley, his anger still bubbling under the surface, but he decided that his men would take care of the raping asshole behind them. Or so he thought.

“Oh, so you do have someone!” exclaimed Kai cheerfully from behind them. “And what a fine man at that with his fancy suite and luxury cars! You were always a gold-digger, you slut!”

Asami stopped dead in his track, forcing Akihito to slow down as well. He decided that the punk needed to receive some special service from the Tokyo underworld being the little motherfucker he was, throwing a tantrum because his ex didn’t want to get back together with him. He walked back to the guy, and stood before him, his intimidating aura radiating on full force.

“What? Now you’re gonna protect your little whore, you pampered rich bastard? I bet you don’t even know how to pu…”

He heard enough. With a rightly angled punch he made the guy silent, his surprise written all over his face. The next moment he kneed the boy in the stomach, making him wheeze and whine in pain and then dropped the limp body onto the concrete of the street. He decided to go all out, grabbing one of his guns and pointing it to the guy.

“Apologize to Akihito”, he ordered strictly, cocking the gun for show.

“I’m… I’m ss… sorry! Okay?!” stuttered the boy, his fear highly amusing.

“Sure”, mumbled Akihito not so far behind.

“Good”, confirmed Asami, “and never come near him ever again!”

The guy meekly nodded, his fear taking over all of his senses. His features were ruined for a while, bruises waking in the place where he got punched, and his over-all façade so pale that he could become a ghost.

Asami almost let him off the hook. Then he saw the traces of blood on the cinderblock wall where Akihito’s face was so harshly pushed and rubbed, and decided that this punk will receive the deluxe yakuza-pack of revenge. He pointed the gun at the flatly laid pout hand right next to the guy and the next moment his pinky flinger flew off, surrounded with the echoing of the gunshot and the guy’s scream.

“Just a reminder of your little promise”, he added nonchalantly, then he turned his back to the wailing figure on the ground and strutted towards Akihito.

The boy leaned against the wall, half of his face faintly bleeding from the scratches, his overall appearance weak and wobbly. He almost reached him, when Akihito’s knees went out and he fell forward, into Asami’s arms.

After the previous happenings he decided to ditch his business meeting. He still felt irritated, Akihito’s ex making him angrier than necessary, though he got mad for Akihito not himself. And this weird feeling of wanting to protect the boy still lingered in him. He thought that maybe he should have given something more to that pest: he should have shot off his dick instead of a finger. But Akihito still fainted because of a meek finger so it was like this. He’ll send his regards with some of his men the day after.

He picked up Akihito in princess style, his jacket still draped over the boy, and walked towards the car where Suoh waited for him. Kirishima still sat in the meeting, though he sure had some faint idea where his boss went. So Asami took his chance and brought Akihito back to his home to take care of the fragile, unconscious figure in his lap. And he did just the right thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for today, I think the next chapter we will get back to our fav Aki-chan's POV.
> 
> Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :333


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Sweeties,
> 
> here is the new chapter! I hope you like it. :))
> 
> I'd like to thank you so much for the kudos and the comments, I feel so blessed because of your support!! :33
> 
> Hugs

When Akihito woke up the next morning, he still couldn’t believe the happenings of the past two days. He presumably started to date Asami. Well, he still lay in the man’s bed, strong arms draped around him and pulling him close to a muscly torso, and a half-erect cock poking his backside. Though he still didn’t dare to count himself lucky just yet and say with utter conviction that he definitely hit the jackpot.

He wriggled his way around, turning to face Asami who, even though it was Monday morning, slept peacefully. Akihito looked around the room to see whether he could check the time or not. He saw a digital alarm clock on the other side of the bed, on Asami’s side, and he tried just a little to lift himself up from the pillow to see the display, when Asami simply pushed him to his back and his heavy upper arm didn’t let the boy move.

“You’re not leaving without a word”, grumbled Asami, still half asleep.

“I didn’t wa… I ju…” stuttered Akihito. He felt Asami’s fingers sneaking around his cock, the other hand crawling towards his bottom. “Oh crap, I just wanted to check the time”, he rattled out. “Please spare me, I feel like I’m dying.”

Asami slowly stroked the boy’s cock back into life, his own erection obscenely rubbing against Akihito’s thigh. It seemed he never got tired, he always found some more stamina to torture Akihito with mind-blowing skills and unbearably slow teasing, and eventually to make the boy come at least three more times.

“Ride me, Akihito, we still have time”, murmured Asami in his ear then started to nibble on the shell.

“There’s no way in hell I’m doing that”, replied Akihito utterly shocked, though he felt like doing anything and everything just to have Asami spend more time with him, “I have to go to work and stand at least seven hours, I won’t even be able to walk if we go at it again.”

“Then you won’t leave this bed today”, answered simply Asami, and his first finger probed into the boy’s backside, making Akihito gasp.

“Stop it!! Stop it!! I need to go to work!!” squealed the boy, though he so felt like continuing their play. But he didn’t want to give himself up completely just yet to the other man.

“We can go at it the easy way, but we can go at it the hard way as well”, commented Asami a bit teasing, his finger slowly burying in Akihito. His other hand still leisurely stroked the boy’s cock just to make it stand at full attention, weeping with excitement.

Akihito couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t even think, only just gave himself up to Asami’s hand pleasuring him, and his mouth never stopping, leaving wet trails on his neck and upper chest.

Akihito once again encountered the feeling of dying from the slowly building pleasure, his receptors in his brain burning out from the overwhelming attention paid to his body. He felt so exhausted, but in a good way, his long-time missing satisfaction finally getting back to him.

He tuned out the world, not caring about worries of work and anything else, when Asami suddenly grabbed his waist and turned around with them, the man being under and the surprised Akihito being on top.

“I was serious, Akihito, I want you to ride me”, said Asami, his hands separating Akihito’s legs onto both of his sides, making the boy sit awkwardly on his abdomen, the boy’s erection standing obscenely.

“No, please, I swear I’ll do it another time, but don’t make me do this right now”, pleaded Akihito, though his dripping cock didn’t really verify his not-wanting.

Asami didn’t say anything, only grabbed the boy’s buttocks and started to grind his erection between them. His hip-work hypnotized Akihito: he could do so much with so little effort; he freaking had the boy sitting on him and still moved like everything was perfectly fine.

“No, oh God”, gasped Akihito, as Asami aligned his thick shaft to the boy’s entrance, “I won’t do it!”

“Of course, you won’t, Akihito”, replied Asami with a shit-eating grin while he buried his cock slowly into the boy’s backside.

Akihito felt like he just got electrocuted: the pleasure ran up and down on his spine, his mind whitening out and letting space to nothingness. His cock twitched, still dripping with pre-cum, soiling Asami’s perfect abs with the pearly liquid. He closed his eyes, feeling how flushed his face got in a second, and readied to support himself during the fuck, leaning on Asami, his palms pushed against the man’s shoulders.

Then nothing.

He opened his left eye slowly, his confusion clearly written on his face. Asami only lay there, a satisfied smile spread out on his perfect features. The smug bastard waited for him to really ride him!

Akihito didn’t move either, though the heel of his palms deeply dug into the man’s shoulders, supporting his weigh on them. They locked gazes and only stared at each other, neither of them saying anything, neither of them willing to give in to this game. Akihito knew that if he glanced away he’d lose and he’d have to do it. He wanted to, oh how much he wished to do it, but right now he still needed to think about the possibility of going to work and not being able to do anything – and of course being teased because of his incapability and the reason for it.

“You’re going to be late”, deadpanned the boy, his fingertips beating a steady rhythm on Asami’s shoulders.

“I’m the boss, there’s no possibility of me being late”, the man cocked one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows, and his right hand sneakily inched up onto the boy’s hip.

“Shouldn’t you be the one to show example being an earnest worker?” teased him Akihito. “I wouldn’t like to work for a company if my boss, instead of working, spent the day in bed fucking some poor boy.”

“So, you consider yourself poor? In what sense? Aren’t you satisfied?” countered Asami, his thumb rubbing circles on Aki’s skin over his hipbone.

“Oh, I could tell you about it”, grinned the boy and he slowly lowered himself to Asami’s chest.

He could feel Asami’s hot breath on his face, his flushed skin eroding the same or even more heat. They still stared at each other, their eyes viciously fighting, trying to decide the victor of their little dispute for dominance. Akihito unconsciously bit down on his lower lip, though after the slight change in Asami’s eyes, he knew what effect he caused.

Asami’s free hand landed on the nape of his neck, pulling the boy into him and catching his lips in a feverish kiss where everything was allowed. Their tongues intermingled, their huffing breaths mixed and their heat became one.

Akihito felt like dying all over again, and finally he sat up again and started to move his hips, grinding himself against Asami, feeling the man’s cock moving in him thanks to his own movements. It felt painfully good; it felt so right and so heavenly. It felt like home.

“Good boy”, praised him Asami, supporting the boy by holding onto his hips.

“I hate you so much”, said Akihito through gritted teeth, swinging his hips with more ease, creating more friction. “Oh God!”

Asami started to move with him, though slowly, letting the boy take the leading rhythm. One of his hands sneaked around Akihito’s achingly hard cock, that still dripped with pre-cum, and started to pump it with the same rhythm as the boy moved. Akihito couldn’t maintain a steady rhythm, his timing wavering with Asami’s cock touching his insides and his insides contracting around it.

“I thought you won’t do it”, mused Asami, his smirk so perfectly on its place.

Akihito didn’t answer, he only grinded himself more, lifting up a bit from the man and then going back down, fucking himself on the hot, rock-hard cock buried inside him. He tried to find the right angle of penetration, tried to jab Asami’s shaft right to his sweet spot that sent shivers all over his body and mind.

“You want to ask for help, Akihito?” asked Asami, his smug attitude radiating from him.

“No, thank you, I’m doing just fine”, spat the boy pouting, and he lifted up himself almost entirely from the cock, it only remaining in till the base of its head. He sat back down, the movement sending electric shots up his spine.

“You’re awfully good at this”, commented Asami.

Akihito looked him in the eye and saw that the golden-amber coloured irises almost disappeared because of the blown-out pupils. The desire shown on Asami’s face as well, though his composed façade still held its place, only cracking at the edges.

“I always rode the… rodeo bull on… summer festivals”, huffed the boy, his body running out of energy slowly.

“Definitely wasn’t a waste of time”, grinned Asami then grabbed the boy’s hips again, and started to ram into him mercilessly.

“Oh…! Go…! Asa…!” gasped Akihito, inarticulately. He couldn’t close his mouth, however hard he tried, his gasps, squeaks and whines escaping and echoing in the room.

Asami, somehow like an acrobat and a magician fused, succeeded to hold the boy with one hand supporting him only, the other getting back to pumping Akihito’s cock and he still rammed into the boy. He seemed to be a fuck-a-ton gold medallist, knowing actively every unbelievably hard position, and executing them perfectly even with an amateur partner.

“Sto… plea… Asa… Ry… sto…” stuttered Akihito, his mind and words merging together. He felt his saliva flowing down on his chin and dripping down onto his chest, continuing its trail down on his skin.

“Yes, Akihito?” asked Asami; he only sounded a little out of breath.

_I fucking hate and love you, you smug asshole._

Akihito’s core finally gave up, and with a shout mixed with a pleasured groan he came with full force, his white cum splattering all over Asami’s stomach, some drops even landing on the man’s chin. He couldn’t comprehend anything, he couldn’t even see anymore: whiteness taking over everything and anything. He felt like falling, falling through white, fluffy clouds and between soft sheets and sinking deeper and deeper into water.

He came to when his forehead hit Asami’s nose with a slapping-cracking noise. He bolted up, his hands plastered over his mouth in fear for the man’s perfect face. Nothing happened, thank god, but now as Akihito examined the perfectly shaped nose, he could see a little scar just above some hardly-seen freckles.

He rolled off the man, the cock slipping out of him making an obscene pop, and he covered himself with the blankets, burrowing himself into them.

“What’s up with the scar on your nose?” he asked as he snuggled into the pillow, inhaling Asami’s smell that intermingled with the heavy scent of sex in the room.

“I got an elbow in my face when I wasn’t paying attention”, shrugged the man, and he pulled Akihito closer to him, nuzzling his nose into the boy’s damp hair.

“Oh.”

“Though it was my fault, since it was dark and I surprised the boy after a street fight”, continued Asami.

“It happened to me once as well, I mean I got surprised after I beat up some drunken asses”, commented Aki, closing his eyes and feeling the pull of his sleep getting stronger.

“I know”, answered Asami.

Akihito, on the verge of sleep, heard Asami’s words, though at first couldn’t comprehend them. Why would Asami know it? He wasn’t there. He most probably drove around somewhere out in the city in a fancy suit, or maybe already slept in his luxurious bed, but he definitely didn’t see him fight in an alley. The man who got elbowed in the face by Aki was tall and well-dressed, with well-composed behaviour and calm voice. He wore Italian leather loafers and smelt like expensive tobacco mixed with citrus and sandalwood.

Akihito’s eyes popped open with the sudden shock.

“OH MY GOD! IT WAS ME!” he exclaimed as he bolted up, all of the sleepiness disappearing with the emerging truth. “I elbowed you in the face.”

The expression on Asami’s face, almost like the expression of someone who won the biggest prize on the lottery, shown Akihito that the man indeed enjoyed his embarrassment and shock. And Akihito could hardly wrap his head around the happenings how he started from elbowing Asami in the face and ended up letting the man come into him continuously for hours straight.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” whined Akihito as he hid his face in his hands, “I’m so ashamed, fuck.”

Asami sneaked his arms around the boy’s waist and pulled him back onto his back. He pried the hands from his face and kissed him passionately, taking away all of his worries. 

“Because I knew that you’d have this expression if you’d found out”, answered Asami, brushing out some stray strands of Aki’s bang out of the boy’s forehead, “and I like to see you flustered.”

“Rina’s right, you’re a big bully jerk”, pouted the boy and turned his back to the man, “and I won’t be able to work today because of you. And I really hope I won’t get diarrhea because you came in me so much.”

Asami didn’t answer, only got out of bed, strutted to the boy’s side and pulled him out of the bed onto his shoulder. Akihito awkwardly dangled in his position, his ass clenched tight not to have Asami’s cum let flow out of him. He felt so awkward and flustered, his face all red and heavy with heat.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” he wriggled and bumped on Asami’s back with his fists.

“We need to clean you out”, answered Asami with a natural tone, “we can’t have you unusable because of so petty reasons.”

“I hate you so much!” squealed the boy, still fighting against Asami’s restraining hands.

The man slapped his ass hard and the sound of it echoed in the room. Akihito gasped, not from the pain but the surprise, and he ashamedly recognized that he started to get erect again.

_I’m not surviving today._

Asami finally started to walk them to the bathroom when the bedroom’s door flew open and Rina marched in, already in full work attire.

“Ryu, I don’t care what weird sex-play you’re doing, but I’m starving and I need to be out in an hour to start work”, she rattled out hurriedly, checking out Akihito’s bare butt as she saw the whole thing full on.

“Why do I have to cook breakfast for you?” asked Asami angrily, still holding the struggling Akihito in place on his shoulder.

“Because you love me, and I love your waffles”, answered the girl naturally, “it smells like a zoo in here!” she exclaimed then sashayed to the balcony door and opened both sides, letting the cool morning air in.

“Don’t just say and do whatever you want to”, reprimanded her Asami, ready to fight it out between relatives.

“Oh, come on, chop-chop, me and Aki-chan’s gonna be late from the café, so get your ass out in the kitchen and make me breakfast!” ordered the girl, her hands on her hips, her intense gaze clashing with Asami’s angry one.

“I feel so uncomfortable”, commented Akihito meekly, because he still hung on Asami’s shoulder, and he couldn’t really hide his bottom from Rina in this position.

“And put him down and let him take a shower, his my new work-mentor after all!” added the girl and she was out of the room and skipping towards the kitchen, “Oh and give me your beautician’s number cause I like her trim-work!”

“Rina…!!” squealed Akihito, so tired already in the morning. “Wait, work-mentor?!”

 

As it turned out, Rina being a not-so-patient type had her boss go all out to have her removed from the customer relations, since she always got into dispute with the clients. Though she still remained at the company, but she didn’t like only ordering and stocking new designer clothes, not getting the chance to dress someone up in them, so she simply quit. But, because of letting go of her primary income, she couldn’t pay anymore her rent for the fancy 2 LDK she lived in alone in the almost middle of Shinjuku, so she had to abandon her treasured apartment as well.

After a month of freeloading at Asami’s (and then being mercilessly and irreversibly unveiled) she needed to find a new job. She could live without being a 9 to 5 worker, but Asami made it one of the criteria of her living there to go find a new job. Being frequent visitor of the café, and having good relationship with all the workers and most of the frequenters, knowing the menu in and out, back and forth, she thought she’d give a try to the catering industry.

It happened to be one of the worst ideas ever to let the girl in the close vicinity of fragile objects.

The first two hours of Akihito’s shift mainly consisted of him running for the broom and dustpan, and cleaning up the mess that Rina made. It seemed that she mastered being a mess-maker, but never learned how to solve the issues. Or when she tried to pick up the broken pieces of a cup she cut her hands half a dozen times at least, bleeding all over the floor and her apron.

“Seriously, I don’t mean to pick on you, but how did you get this job?” asked Akihito tiredly, finally reaching a calm period in the day’s work. “I mean you don’t have any experience, you’re clumsy and your speech sometimes is really rude.”

“I see that Ryu’s meanness is rubbing off on you”, pouted Rina as she slowly stirred a lemon-lime Refresha with a straw. “I told you, I always wanted to try working at a place like this.”

“No, you haven’t told me, ever”, corrected her Akihito, a freshly mixed Caramel Frappuccino balancing on his palm, the condensation full of see-through scribbles. Finally they had some time to rest, the masses leaving the café for further work and school.

“And what’s up with you and Ryu?” asked Rina like she didn’t care, but Akihito knew that she died to know every little detail since she left the flat yesterday morning.

“I don’t know, what’s up with him and me?” replied Aki with the question, knowing full well that he will be grilled until he confessed every little details, even the amount of cum he washed out of his ass during the morning.

“You won’t get away not telling me anything after what I just did for you two! I’m like your personal cupid with the wings and the bow, I deserve a thank you-card and bouquets of flowers, and Ryu as my personal maid for at least a month”, she rattled, her hands flailing with intensity in the air.

“You need to request that from him, I’m broke as hell”, shrugged the boy and he took a long sip from his drink, “though I can always give you a hug.”

“I don’t need your freaking hug, I need something I can exchange into cash so I can get back into my apartment!” grumbled Rina, her bangs falling in front of her eyes, “And I need Ryu to never leave me because of you. Maybe we can all live together, like a big family: we can have a few dogs, and a big house on the countryside, you two would be my gay parents, and I’d be the pampered rich girl who does whatever she wants and everything’s awesome.”

“Seriously, where does all this shit come from?” came Asami’s amused voice from the entrance of the shop.

Akihito immediately sat up straight, his hands nervously fidgeting with the cup in front of him. He still fought the thought in his mind that Asami could now easily kick him out, after fucking him thoroughly and having his way with the boy every single way he could execute it.

But here Asami stood, in the entrance of the shop, in a dapper suit with a neat necktie and clearly polished leather shoes, his hair perfectly styled with hair gel and every strand of his fringe in the right position, and he held a big box wrapped in brown paper in his hands.

“Ryu! You came to see me on my first day of customer service work?” asked Rina excitedly.

“Of course not, I came to give this to Akihito”, he said tiredly as he rolled his eyes, lifting the box a little to give emphasis to his words.

“You’re really mean”, pouted Rina then she strutted away to the end of the shop to sulk alone.

Akihito awkwardly sat as he remained the only centre of attention to Asami, and as the man walked up to him, he tried to calm his beating heart, the faster and faster _thump thump thump_ making him contemplating whether to visit a cardiac specialist. Asami sat the box down in front of him, brushing the boy’s closer hand slightly with his long, perfectly manicured fingers.

“Kirishima reminded me that I had it sitting in my office for a while now”, commented Asami, as Akihito touched the wrapping paper curiously.

Akihito looked at the man questioningly, who only nodded in answer, then he dug into the paper, tearing it from the box and letting it fall onto the table and the floor beside him. When he cleared the wrap, he froze, intently gazing at the now fully visible box.

It was the new Nikon camera that Akihito drooled over for the past three months.

“I can’t accept it!” he exclaimed, standing up from the table and backing to the counter, making sure to put a good distance between himself and the camera, “It costs a fortune and I can’t take it.”

“It’s not that I’m giving it to you for free”, replied Asami, “I want to ask for something in exchange.”

_If he tells me either sex or organs I’m going to hit him._

Akihito glanced at the man with evident worry in his eyes, feeling his stomach drop as he wondered what the man wants from him for the camera. Of course he can always decline, and he _will_ definitely decline if it’s something unreasonable, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that Asami maybe wants something dirty or something even worse, something immoral, something unthinkable. And if he doesn’t get it he’ll simply break up with the boy. Fuck, they didn’t even declare the fact that they dated; they could simply be like fuck buddies, or Asami buying Akihito for sex with the camera.

“I can see that you’re overthinking it”, sighed Asami, stepping closer to Akihito, feather lightly touching the boy’s left cheekbone with his fingertips.

“I’m just trying to bring up some reasons, that’s all”, answered Akihito, trying to create a nonchalant attitude, that didn’t work out at all.

“I don’t intend to make you whore yourself out”, said the man, taking a step back to let Akihito breathe.

“Of course not”, nodded the boy, a slight blush appearing on his face, “You might just want a playmate.”

“Or I might just want you”, shook his head Asami, “You shouldn’t decide others’ feelings and ideas by yourself.”

Akihito, after hearing that comment, felt like crap, because Asami was right. He just assumed things that weren’t even close to the truth. Hell, he already played out every single scenario in his head and tended towards the worst one because saying _I told you so_ proved to be the easiest thing to say and do.

“So can I ask you about something?” asked Akihito finally, deciding to clear things up between them and let Asami say the words that they were either dating or not.

“I don’t know, can you?” replied the man smugly, his previous seriousness nowhere to be seen.

“Okay, I had it, take back your camera and go home”, hissed Akihito, his arms intertwining before his chest.

“Join me for a dinner”, said Asami suddenly, the sentence throwing Akihito out of the loop.

“Do what?” he asked definitely shocked.

“Let me take you out on a date, that’s what I’m asking in exchange for the camera”, smirked the man, enjoying Akihito’s confusion.

“So, basically, you want to spend more money on me to accept you spending money on me?” frowned the boy.

“Yes, Akihito, that is exactly what I am implying”, said Asami casually, “let me spoil you rotten.”

“You can’t, I won’t let you”, snorted Akihito, Asami’s idea seeming more and more ridiculous.

They stared intently at each other, getting back to the morning’s dominance-fight. Akihito didn’t want anyone to pamper him silly, because his manly pride would be in clear danger. And it already was to be honest. Sure, he craved to accept the camera from Asami because then he’d have a lot of unspent saved money, but his self-worth that built up in the past few months would just fly out of the window if he’d sell himself for the brand new Nikon with 36.3 megapixel resolution, single-lens reflex, TTL exposure metering, bearing with maximum 85% humidity level… 

_No, I won’t sell myself so cheap!_

“I’d see to that dinner and after decide whether I take the camera or the house and the kids”, he smiled sweetly.

“You can take Rina even without the dinner”, commented Asami almost immediately.

“I heard my name!” appeared the girl suddenly, draping her arms around Akihito’s neck, “did you miss me, boss?”

“I’m not your boss, Kobayashi-san is”, sighed Akihito tiredly, “By the way, can I mix you something to drink?” he turned back to Asami.

“I have an appointment in 10, so I need to decline your offer”, answered the man, though he didn’t seem that unhappy because of the missed drink. “I leave the camera for you to consider my offer.”

“Wha? Where?” chirped Rina excitedly, she skipped next to the box and tore its top open. “Oh my God, it’s so awesome! Why don’t you ever buy me any of these, Ryu?” she inquired a bit spoiled.

“Because you take everything you receive as naturally as breathing”, sighed the man, leaning against one of the columns on the floor, “and we’re not going out either.”

“I can always ask you to marry me”, countered Rina.

“And I will always decline”, replied Asami.

“I can have your mum make you marry me”, said then the girl lightly.

“I don’t think so”, answered the man, cocking one eyebrow in his irritation.

“Stingy.”

“Akihito, I will get back to you with the request”, turned Asami back to the boy who again was flabbergasted though not (only) because of the scene he just witnessed between the Asami cousins.

“ _And we’re not going out either_ ” that is what Asami said, his reason for not buying anything to Rina was this sentence. That meant that they, he and Asami, in the man’s understanding, _were_ dating. He and Asami dated. They were going out. They had a relationship. They seemed to be an item. This proved to be an all-strings attached type of thing in the man’s opinion as well.

Akihito, in this exact moment, felt like throwing his hands in the air, screaming “ _Banzaii!_ ” three times on top of his lungs, and maybe shed a few happy tears, because _holy shit_ he could (and should) call a guy like Asami his _boyfriend_.

He could feel the intense stares from both Asami and Rina pointed at him, his lack of answer evidently showing that something wasn’t right. But everything seemed to be right, only the boy got so lost in his head that he couldn’t even make himself to say yes or even just nod.

Asami only smirked, knowing perfectly well what the boy had caught up on, and he turned to leave the shop. Akihito watched him walk up to the entrance, and his legs, without any orders, started to take him after the man, making him catch up to the wide shoulders and broad back draped in the fine materials of the suit. He caught handful of the soft fabric, making Asami stop, and the man slowly turned to look at him again.

He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what to do and he definitely didn’t know why he caught up to the man, what he wanted to achieve with his act, but he already stood there like an idiot, grasping Asami’s suit jacket in his slightly sweating hands, and he locked gazes with the man but he couldn’t read anything out of his golden coloured eyes.

“Yes”, he whispered softly.

“Hm?” cocked his head to the right Asami.

“I’ll join you for dinner”, mumbled the boy, feeling more and more embarrassed, his ears and face burning with heat.

“I tell you the details in time”, replied Asami, the corner of his mouth turning up into a satisfied smile.

“See you”, shied the boy away, letting go of the man’s jacket.

Asami caught his thin wrist in his grasp, and pulled the boy to him, kissing him slowly and tenderly in the opened entrance of the café where everyone could perfectly see. Some of the girls on the sun terrace excitedly squealed, clapping and whistling, while others just watched disrupted the act.

Akihito felt like the kiss went on and on forever, his mouth and tongue getting puffy and numb, and his protective shell coming undone, showing his true self to the whole wide world. He wrapped his arms around Asami’s neck, giving himself up entirely and letting the man lead the happenings.

Then Asami broke off the kiss and was off with his collected demeanour and straight strut, joined by glasses guy and the driver from before. They blended into the Shinjuku crowd immediately, leaving Akihito alone for everyone to see the after-effects of their previous act.

“I have so many questions right now”, heard Akihito Takato’s voice from his right, and he turned to face his friend still in a daze.

“Count me in the interrogation as well!” joined Kou as well, holding out a tissue towards Akihito, most probably to wipe the saliva from around his mouth.

“Oh don’t worry, it was just his boyfriend!” bubbled Rina from the counter, not really helping Akihito’s case.

The boys only grabbed Aki’s shoulder and pushed him to one of the table then made him sit down. They put the still half-full cup of Caramel Frappuccino in front of the boy and quickly jumped behind the counter to make their own drinks. After some minutes they were all ready and joined Akihito by the table, their gazes showing their curiosity and thirst for rumour.

“We want to hear _everything_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> Good news: here's the new chapter!
> 
> Bad news: I see the end of the story and struggle against myself and try to persuade myself to continue it forever and ever with domestic little cutesy scenes and happenings. Hmm.
> 
> Hugs

Akihito, for at least the thousandth time, re-tied the tie around his neck, once again feeling out of breath, the material encircling his neck choking him. His excitement for the up-coming date tore his insides into dizzy and giddy threads, his mind wandering through every possible scenario that could happen during their outing.

Asami didn’t really tell him where they’d go, only told Akihito to dress somewhat casually and wait for the man to pick him up at 7 on the Saturday two weeks from then.

And here he was, waiting for Asami eagerly since four in the afternoon. He wouldn’t really call his clothes casual, since he wore a tie, but the overall help from the boys and Rina somewhat made him presentable at higher class places as well. He wore skinny jeans once again (though he promised never to do it ever again, but the others coaxed him into them), a simple white shirt tucked into the jeans, a black vest and a black jacket. The necktie wasn’t advised from the others but he felt like putting it on since Asami always wore one and glasses guy always wore one and the driver guy most likely always wore one. He’d feel so freaking weird if he didn’t wear one.

Basically he spent most of the day at Akira’s stylist friend, trying out various sets that the others picked him out. And, for his utter disappointment, it didn’t turn out to be a fun montage, like in the movies, with the cheesy but none-the-less excited music; rather it proved to be a pain in the ass, putting on different clothes, then changing again and again, then putting some sets back on and comparing them to other ones. He felt utterly exhausted, and he couldn’t even sleep well the night before, because he already got so excited to meet Asami in an official date.

_I’m like a schoolgirl with her first boyfriend._

He tried to put off his mind from the date, tried to do the same routine like he usually did on his days off, going for a jog, taking a long shower and playing some videogames, but his mind always wandered back to Asami Ryuichi and the fact that the man wants to spoil him and make him completely his and he didn’t only want just a playmate, but something more. Or at least that’s what Akihito could get out of his words the last time they talked face-to-face.

Asami proved to be a freaking busy man, his schedule booked full, not even five free minutes to visit Akihito to say hi and kiss the boy silly. Not that Akihito wanted it that desperately! Maybe just a little. But since the Sunday they spent together almost two weeks ago they couldn’t really meet up. 

Akihito felt the longing pang growing inside him, his need for an affectionate hug and kiss slowly tipping his mind off the edge of sanity. He missed the warmth of the muscly arms encircling him, the manly smell of Asami mixed with the strong scent of sex and sweat, and the heavenly kisses that blew his mind over and over again, always making his resolves crumble.

“Oi, Akihito, if you continue circling around, the carpet will fray”, told Akira half sitting on the couch, his feet resting on Rina’s lap. They grew _pretty_ friendly during the past few weeks.

“I’m just so stressed out, what if I fuck it up?!” rattled out the boy, his hidden fear pushing his head through the surface, “I mean, I’m just a countryside boy who works as a barista, nothing really special. I’m not living in the world of rich and famous, eating and partying at fancy places and wearing designer clothes. I have no connections in this kind of world either, I’m a nobody!”

“Chill out man, don’t give yourself a heart attack”, walked Kou into the room from the kitchen, two bottles of beer in his hands. He gave one to Akira and sat down onto one of the beanbags situated in front of the TV.

“I just don’t want to make him regret starting anything with me”, sighed Akihito and he slumped down awkwardly onto the couch next to Rina.

“Ryu’s not that kind of a guy,” she said, stroking Akihito’s back encouragingly, “he doesn’t really care about the upper class people – he thinks all of them are twats and he’s right.”

“But he’s an upper class person as well,” commented Akihito suspiciously.

“And you know he’s a twat, don’t you?” asked Rina all seriously.

Then both of them burst out laughing.

“C’mon he’s not that bad,” smiled Akihito, finally feeling a little lighter after the day’s stiff happenings.

“I grew up with him, he’s a total and utter twat,” giggled Rina, and she brushed her hair back to tie it into a bun, “but he has a heart of gold.”

“Akihito, if you’re not sure about this guy, I’m gonna steal him I swear to God!” exclaimed Akira, leaning back against the armrest, “He sounds so dreamy I’m jealous.”

“Sorry, but you don’t stand a chance, Mr. Golddigger,” said Rina, and her voice sounded a little hurt, “Also he’s head over heels for Aki-chan as far as I could tell.”

Akihito felt the up-building blush warming his face, the hotness of his skin radiating uncomfortably, making his temples beading a little with sweat. In Rina’s opinion, which can be deciphered as 65-70% right, Asami’s in love with him. Akihito would be the happiest being on Earth if that’s be really true, the man of his dream reciprocating his feelings. But he still didn’t let himself fall utterly and completely, he still hung on a thread, making sure he could save himself if something goes wrong. He didn’t need one more heartbreak – he already experienced one too many.

He leaned back into the couch, glancing at the clock on the wall. The times moved so slowly, he still had 20 minutes to spend. He thought about changing his clothes, the thought that circled in his head all afternoon, but fought against the urge to slip into something comfy and so-not-classy.

“You’re fidgeting,” said Rina, her voice filled with concern, “It’s gonna be fine, I’m sure he’s gonna take you to some fancy VIP place where no one will see you, and most probably fuck you leaned against a window, while Tokyo’s skyline is right under you lit up like a Christmas tree.”

Akihito’s eyes widened, his mouth opening to say anything that could ease the tension in the room. The one who saved the situation wasn’t him, but Kou, who almost chocked on a sip of his beer because of the unwanted mental image from Rina’s tale. His boys all knew every detail, well not _every_ detail, but the most important ones, and they hundred per cent supported the relationship if it came true like Akihito wanted. If not, they already promised him to castrate Asami, though it wasn’t sure they’d succeed with it.

“C’mon man, let’s play a round or two until you wait,” threw one controller Akira through the room to the boy, slipping a game DVD into the console.

The bloody opening credits of Mortal Kombat came up, and Akihito almost instantly started to leaf through the character choices, racing Akira for Sub-Zero. He succeeded, and his friend needed to find someone else to start the game.

Fifteen minutes later profanities were shouted and friendships broke, as they destroyed each other’s characters over and over again, the controllers’ buttons and joysticks clicking frantically as they tried to perform the wished fatalities with the codes they memorised.

Akihito, hardly but noticed, that the doorbell rung, but couldn’t do anything since he was right in the middle of a long combo fight-sequence, aiming to froze Akira’s character to tore her into tiny little pieces. But he failed miserably.

“You bitch! I’m going to fucking annihilate you!” screamed Akihito, as Jade (with Akira’s help) tore Sub-Zero’s head off and blood sprayed everywhere on the screen.

“Someone’s a sore loser!” laughed Akira, as he clicked the replay button to see the Fatality over and over again.

“You motherfucker, I’ll make you choke on your own blood!” wheezed Akihito, as he stood up and kneeled closer to the TV, the game starting again in another scenery.

“Uuum, Aki…” came Kou’s voice from the boy’s left side.

“Shut up, Kou, I’m busy!” he hissed through gritted teeth as he bashed the A button over and over again, trying to perform the perfect combo that shredded Jade’s lifeline.

“Akihito!” squealed Akira, and something changed in his gaming style, Jade’s sloppily executed moves became more precise, the combinations more elegant and the whole gameplay more violent.

In less than a minute Sub-Zero got annihilated again mercilessly, Akihito angrily dropping the controller onto the floor and jumping up to shout at Akira.

“YOU FUCKING BI…” he started as he spun around, but in the next moment he stood face-to-face with Asami, the man standing casually behind the couch, Akira’s controller in his hand and his head cocked slightly to the left. 

He didn’t say anything.

Akihito didn’t say anything either. He just felt the blood rush to his head, making him feel dizzy and not less embarrassed. He cursed like some pirate right in front of Asami. He told such things and made such noises that couldn’t even a little bit be called elegant and cute. He acted and spoke like some unintelligent thug.

“Shall we go, Akihito?” asked Asami eventually, dropping the controller into Akira’s lap with a soft thud, that might or might not meant that the plastic, heavy controller fell onto the boy’s junk.

Everyone in the room watched the scene frozen: both Akira and Kou paled paper white like ghosts, and even Rina had a serious expression on her pretty face.

Akihito intended to answer, really, but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, he nodded shamefully. His mind spun in maximum gears, trying to work out a way to make Asami forget this unnecessary scene, his indecent behaviour and his dirty mouth. 

“Or would you like to annihilate me as well?” inquired Asami, a half-smile slowly spreading out on his face.

Akihito sighed heavily, and shook his head slowly while he started to smile as well. The others also let out a huge breath of relief.

He walked up to Asami, and looked at the man in a hopefully cutesy manner. Asami’s scent almost instantly filled his nose, and then his mind, the already missing pieces finally getting back to him, his desire for the man burning up again. He couldn’t contain his urge and threw himself onto the man, waiting for the thick, strong arms to embrace him, pulling him closer to the broad chest.

“Oh God, I missed this so much,” he exhaled into Asami’s suit jacket, burrowing his face into the soft fabric.

“Just what I intended to say,” came Asami’s amused voice from above, and he looked up to the man’s face, almost getting surprised how close it was.

“It’s good to see you,” mumbled Akihito, biting down on his lower lip.

“It’s good to see you too,” smirked Asami and he leaned in to kiss Akihito slowly and tenderly.

“Oh God, go get a room! You don’t even need a freaking date to do what you clearly want to do!” chimed into their encounter Rina.

“You’re definitely following me,” sighed Asami, as he let Akihito go, shushing the boy to get his shoes and other things.

“I’m sorry but, as far as I know, I’m allowed to have friends,” stuck her tongue out the girl and she turned back to the TV, picking up Akira’s controller and starting a new game, “By the way, you won’t be home for the night, will you?”

“No, I definitely don’t plan to,” shrugged Asami and it was such a weird act after his composed behaviour.

“Good, make Aki-chan work out hard,” she grinned, “he ate at least a dozen of chocolates in the past two weeks while crying for you.”

Some minutes passed then Akihito stumbled back into the living room, phone and wallet in one hand, and in the other a single black sock.

“I’m ready,” he stuttered, out of breath.

He started towards the ganken, jumping on one foot while he put the sock on the other, then sat down to the single step, and pulled on a pair of leather boots. Ones he didn’t choose for himself because he wouldn’t wear something so obnoxious if he’d get the chance to choose. Also it was freaking summer, why did he have to wear leather boots?!

He turned back to Asami, who stood some feet behind, waiting patiently for the boy to get ready. Akihito really felt like a high school girl; and his date, a prefect gentleman, made sure that he didn’t disturb the ritual of getting ready.

“Okay, let’s go,” he babbled excitedly, and opened the door while he dropped his keys into one of his pockets.

“After you,” smiled Asami and they walked out onto the corridor.

Akihito’s fidgeting and nervousness came back with the soft click of the front door as it closed behind them.

 

As they walked into the hall of the InterContinental Tokyo Bay, Akihito only saw men and women dressed in equally expensive looking and high-fashion clothes, their status clearly showing in their sole presence. He felt so small and so out-of-place. He most probably would have run away without looking back if Asami let go of the small of his back even for a second. He didn’t belong there and Asami knew it as well.

They strutted towards one of the elevators, the guests whispering behind their backs. Akihito felt bad. Like superbad. It was one thing if people made comments about him being a so not the typical guest of the hotel, his no-money attitude radiating from even one step, but to bring Asami down as well seemed to be a whole another matter.

“I don’t think that we should stick so close,” he commented barely audible, “They’re going to gossip about you.”

“I don’t care what they think, and you shouldn’t either,” shrugged Asami and he pushed the down button on the matte gold surface of the elevator’s control board.

“Are you sure, that…?” started Akihito, but Asami caught his face with one hand and squished it with a little bit of force.

“Yes, I am certain that I don’t care what people think of me. I’m more concerned with what you think of me and, of course, yourself. So give it a rest and quit the guilt-trip these unnecessary beings coaxed you into,” he hissed quickly, then let the flabbergasted boy go.

_Sometimes he scares the crap out of me._

The elevator arrived with an obnoxiously cheerful ring, and a few people, also dressed neatly, stepped out of the cabin. One of the guys welcomed Asami with a professional smile on his face, and a handshake that lasted just a bit too long. He introduced the man to the others with him, two women particularly perking up when hearing the name Asami Ryuichi. They talked a bit, not even caring of Akihito’s presence then they were off, though the women still stole glances at Asami and frowned at Akihito.

They stepped into the elevator, and Asami quickly tapped in a six-numbered code then pushed the -8 button. The elevator instantly closed its doors and started downward, making Akihito feel a little paranoid.

“I suppose this would be a nice time and place to murder me; it’s really creepy going so down,” commented Akihito jokingly.

Asami didn’t laugh, only fixed the boy with a strict gaze.

“What?” asked Akihito tiredly, and partly scared, because _Asami didn’t laugh_.

“I’m just deciphering your gambling skills,” answered the man, cocking his right eyebrow a bit.

“I’m neither particularly good, nor too bad. I guess it’s okay,” shrugged the boy, “why?”

The elevator stopped and the doors slowly opened with a slight _whoosh_. And there they stood, in the middle of an exclusively private casino on the -8th floor of InterContinental Tokyo Bay.

Asami lead him out of the elevator, marching towards a guy who stood behind a counter, probably some kind of receptionist or concierge or whatever. He stood straight up, like he had a pole up his butt, and when he saw Asami he lit up like a kid on Christmas Day.

“Asami-sama, welcome back, I’m glad you decided to visit us again,” he said politely, his excitement almost palpable in his voice.

“Thank you, it’s my pleasure to return to such a fine establishment,” answered the man casually.

“In what amount would you like to change chips?” asked the man in the fine uniform, and he stole a glance at Akihito who stood there with an aweing face.

“A million, please,” replied Asami and he took out his wallet from his suit jacket to give his bankcard to the man.

Akihito’s head whipped in Asami’s direction with the speed of light. His eyes widened and his mouth formed a surprised _O_ , while he digested the information that Asami casually put up a million yen just for the sole purpose of playing in a freaking casino.

“What would you like to play, Akihito?” inquired Asami, after obtaining the chips and slipping them into his pocket. He spun a 500 chip between his fingers and flipped it into the air just to catch it afterwards.

“I want to play the game where I got to legally receive that kind of money and save it for harder times,” mumbled the boy a bit pouting.

“You can always ask,” smirked Asami.

“Sure, I’d be delighted if you gave me a million yens for no reason whatsoever,” rolled Akihito his eyes, “let’s play blackjack.”

They walked over to the blackjack tables, some people already sitting by one of them. They joined them and got into the game with a sole twenty thousand base. Akihito almost started to cry because this kind of money was something else for him. He could buy the camera and go travel a bit from this money. He could afford to buy some new clothes and invite out his friends for a nice dinner. He could pay back their kind help during his hard times.

But no, he sat in a fancy casino with Asami and played blackjack because he didn’t have this kind of money. He nudged Asami’s elbow resting on the table, the man being a natural-born winner, taking the third round already, and tripling their money.

They went to the roulette and to play with dices, and they also tried Chinese poker. Akihito uncomfortably but admitted that he had fun. They didn’t lost any money but gained more, and the excitement and thrill of the chances that they either win or lose just went straight to his head. Asami made a great choice bringing him here, because the non-conventional scenery spiced up Akihito’s mood and desire.

Asami walked him back to the elevator, glancing at his watch for at least the hundredth time of the night. Akihito also questioned himself whether the man was bored with him and just wanted to have the night’s end already. It wouldn’t be that surprising: Akihito, being a simple boy, didn’t really counted as lucky or interesting, his knowledge in gambling similar to the ones visiting in Las Vegas. He knew some rules, and tips and tricks, but couldn’t maintain a winning strike for a long while. And also, the beautiful people all around them shown Akihito just how extraordinarily ordinary he was in Asami’s world.

“Thank you, I felt myself wonderful,” he mumbled clumsily to mostly his boots and the floor.

“What are you talking about? We’re not finished yet,” frowned Asami, and he cradled Aki’s cheek to point the boy’s gaze onto him, “You won’t get off so easily.”

He leaned in to kiss Akihito, and as their tongues intermingled and their breaths hitched Akihito only wished that this night could take forever, that their date would never end and that their relationship would go on forever and ever, because Asami impersonated everything he wished for in a man. Though he also could do it without the money, it didn’t really matter whether the man was rich or not.

They still kissed passionately, Akihito’s head feeling dizzy and his thoughts scattered all over the place, when the door of the elevator opened and a pair of fancy girls sashayed inside next to them. Asami didn’t care, he still maintained the kiss, exploring Akihito’s mouth with his tongue and nibbling on the boy’s soft, full lips, while his hands kneaded the boy’s buttocks. The boy only hold onto the man’s suit jacket tight, concentrating on not fainting because of oxygen deprivation and the fact that all of the strength ran out of him because of the kiss.

When they separated, Akihito only hid his, most probably, red and plump lips behind his hands and enjoyed the still lingering tingling lightly tickling his insides.

“Asami-sama, it’s wonderful to see you again!” turned one of the girls to them, giving Akihito a judgemental look.

He only turned around and watched the lit-up city through the see through glass wall of the elevator. He didn’t want to get in a fight and didn’t want to have somebody gossip about Asami, so he acted like he wasn’t even present.

“Do we know each other?” asked Asami, while he turned around to join Akihito, his hand sneaking onto the boy’s butt. He totally ignored the girl.

The silence in the elevator became pregnant, and Akihito could see the reflection of the girl, her face deforming into an ugly frown. The other girl tried to calm her, her finely manicured hand resting on the talking one’s shoulder, but it didn’t do anything good.

“Oh well, we met one or two times,” said the girl, surprisingly calmly. Akihito needed to give her credits.

“I’m sorry, I can’t really recall everyone’s face I meet,” replied Asami lightly.

Akihito felt like face-palming himself. Asami, not sure if on purpose or not, pissed the girl off even more, and Akihito wouldn’t have been surprised if she decided to bury a knife in Asami’s side. But it didn’t happen. Either way, Akihito felt hundred per cent certain that the girl and Asami had a sexual relationship in the not so long ago past. He would have bet a million yen on it.

“Oh, I can see the Tokyo Tower from here!” exclaimed Akihito, trying to ease the mood in the cabin. They still didn’t want to arrive where they were headed.

“What are you, five?” he heard the girl comment lowly, and her friend snickered in agreement.

He decided he would be the one to jab the knife, and make sure to twist it as well.

“ _Ryu_ , would you mind taking me there next time?” he chimed, though a bit obnoxiously, and he glanced at Asami with a silly face to show that he wasn’t serious.

“I’ll buy it for you, sweetheart,” replied Asami affectionately, and Akihito needed to restrain himself so hard not to burst out laughing.

He glanced at the girls’ reflection again and both of them stood there dumbfounded like they saw a ghost or a UFO or the Loch Ness Monster. From there his gaze went towards Asami’s face, who only smirked being part of their conspiracy. Akihito stuck out his tongue cheekily and in the next moment it was already in Asami’s mouth and the man’s tongue in his own. Asami pushed him up against the glass and started to grind his muscly thigh in-between Akihito’s legs, making the boy gasp and moan.

_Shit, it went too far!_

The two girls backed to the elevator door and when the doors opened they fled in a second, the hurried _tack tack tack_ of their pumps echoing in the corridor. Akihito pushed Asami away and finally burst out laughing, the absurdity of the situation finally dawning on him. 

“It was one of the most disturbing PDAs of my life,” sighed the boy when he could finally talk again, “and you _did_ kiss me at my workplace.”

“You were the one who couldn’t let it slide,” commented Asami nonchalantly, “though I was serious, I’d buy you the Tokyo Tower in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t need the freaking Tokyo Tower!” objected Akihito with all his might, “and I don’t really think they’d sell it.”

“Believe me, they’d sell it for me, and they’d also add the Rainbow Bridge as a bonus,” smirked the man then he escorted Akihito out of the elevator, the same way as the two bitches disappeared.

He could hear the faint clinking noise of cutlery connecting with porcelain, and soon they stood by the entrance of a fancy restaurant with a 360-degree panorama of the Tokyo skylight. Asami walked up to the headwaiter and without even telling anything, the man was on his way leading them to their table on the loft, close to the window and far from other tables. This place seemed to be the most VIP of the VIP tables, giving them the perfectly private and intimate atmosphere.

“Since we cannot get any higher, I expect you to have a helicopter waiting for us after dinner, bringing us to your private yacht,” joked Akihito teasingly as they sat down and Asami leafed through the wine list.

“Maybe that’s what I exactly planned,” countered the man, though he still kept his eyes on the menu, “maybe I will take you onto a week-long yacht trip after this, fucking you silly for 168 hours.”

Akihito, not really against the idea, just glanced out the window, watching as whole lit up Roppongi lied right below them. The fancy continuous line of lights from the cars and the systematic dots of the street lights gave off a comfortable vibe, the strict and party-filled Saturday night melting into the peacefulness and quietness of Sunday. And being here, on top of the world just gave that little plus.

“I’d like to have the 1995 Tuscany, please,” heard Akihito Asami’s voice as he addressed a waiter. The waiter nodded and then walked off without a glance towards the boy.

“I wish I had this superpower when I’ll start working as a photojournalist,” he commented a bit sourly, pouring water into his glass.

“What do you mean?” asked Asami cocking his head slightly to the right, interested.

“I seem to be invisible just for anyone in this hotel,” shrugged Akihito and he took a sip of his no gas water.

“I don’t think you’re invisible,” countered Asami, and he grabbed Akihito’s hand that lay on the white tablecloth, “or maybe I’m a lunatic and talking to myself.”

“Everyone thinks you’re a lunatic for bringing such a…” he paused and didn’t know what to say, “for bringing me here.”

Asami let go of the boy’s hand and leaned back on his chair, rolling his eyes. He wanted to say something, that was clear to Akihito, but the obnoxious ringing of Asami’s phone aborted any other missions. The man fished his phone out of his pocket, and checked the caller ID. He ignored the call.

“Akihito, I would be delighted if you’d forget your not belonging; you belong here, like everyone else. It is a free country and we do whatever we want to do. And you, you should also do, think and love freely, because if you deny your God given rights you won’t be able to live your life the fullest, ever,” lectured him Asami, then his phone started to ring again, and Akihito saw that the caller ID said _Kirishima_ on it.

“Answer it, I don’t mind,” he smiled weakly, Asami’s words circling powerfully in his head. He wished to give up all of his shyness and feelings of uneasiness, but it wasn’t that easy. He didn’t want to drag Asami down.

“Asami,” answered the man the phone and Akihito could hear glasses guy’s quick rambling.

“The Koreans?” asked Asami, and he glanced at Akihito’s interested expression. 

He stood from the table and looked questioningly at Akihito. The boy nodded in answer then took the menu from his right and started to flip through it.

Some uneventful minutes passed, Akihito got through the menu back and forth and currently aimlessly watched the Roppongi nightlife from where they were, when someone plopped down onto the seat opposite him.

The ignored girl decided to scram back to ruin their night, it seemed.

“Please don’t strain yourself, I really don’t know who the hell you are,” sighed the boy and he was already turning back towards the window, when the girl started to talk.

“So now you’re his new plaything,” she commented casually.

“I’m not a plaything, I’m a human being,” countered Akihito, deciding that he’ll be as rude as he could be. Because he felt like crap. Because this bitch and each and every guest in this hotel thought that he just got lucky in exchange for a fuck with Asami. Because why not.

“Yes, it was the same for me as well,” said the girl with a sour expression, “he fucked me then dumped me.”

“I don’t care,” answered Akihito. He felt utterly exhausted by the girl’s presence and he also didn’t want to hear the story, because he feared he’d end up just like that.

“We met on a party, by one of our common acquaintances,” started the girl.

“I really don’t care,” said Akihito a bit angrily, pouting unconsciously.

The girl only smiled with satisfaction because she knew that she almost got through to the boy.

“We went out a couple of times, he bought me clothes and jewellery and in exchange we fucked like animals all night long,” she chitchatted.

“It’s not my business what you two did, I hope you know. I couldn’t even care less if you two went to rodeo clown classes together,” shrugged Akihito, intertwining his arms in front of his chest.

“He told me I was just his type, whispered sweet nothings into my ears while fucking me hard and long, then one morning we woke up and he told me to get out and never to meet him again privately, because he got sick of me,” continued the girl, playing the victim in the whole thing.

“Maybe he got sick of your gold digger attitude,” countered Akihito, “maybe he wanted you to think of him as a flesh and bone human being not just some two legged wallet with a big dick.”

“He’s not a good person, he’s evil incarnated and he will only use and abuse you, then he’ll get rid of you without a second thought!” hissed the girl angrily.

“Thank you so much for your warning, but I’m a grown-up man, I can take care of myself,” rolled his eyes Akihito wishing the girl would just disappear into thin air.

“You don’t understand, he’s just a catch and fuck, and that’s exactly what he will do to you too! Do you think he’s so chivalrous to bring you to a fancy hotel and wine and dine you?” inquired the girl on the verge of hysteria, “he only just wants to woo you then screw you! A simple boy without any name or remarkable face, but a tight body! That’s all you are! And after he’s finished, he’s going to throw you away like a used napkin!”

Akihito somehow got into a surprisingly peaceful mood and smiled at the girl slowly. 

“He already got me, multiple times, and he was the one who hunted me down, I didn’t ask for it,” he said silently but with a clear intention in his voice.

_Back off, bitch!_

“How did you tame him?” asked the girl with awing face, her mouth’s corner slowly turning down, her face deforming into a sad crying expression.

He didn’t answer for a while, only reached for the girl’s hand on the table and grasped it tight. She wept silently, her make-up melting down, leaving black lines all over her cheeks.

“He domesticated himself,” he said finally.

“He will leave you,” she stuttered through her tears.

“I know,” replied Akihito calmly.

“And it will be soon.”

“I don’t care if it will happen in two days or two years or even two decades, I am all well prepared. I know that there are a few relationships that eventually last forever, and I am ready to take a chance and see to mine with Asami. And here and now I don’t care, I won’t think of the future or other people, I will only think and care of me being perfectly spoiled by Asami, and reciprocating his feelings as well,” said the boy, then he let go of the girl’s hand and turned back towards the window, ending their encounter.

Or so he thought.

“I can’t understand what he likes in you,” commented the girl as she wiped her eyes with Asami’s napkin, “I mean you’re just a plain boy with no taste whatsoever. How could you be so good that he went back for seconds?”

“Maybe I don’t think he’s a plain boy with no taste whatsoever,” came Asami’s voice from behind Akihito, and he turned to face the man who casually stood by the table, waiting for the unknown girl to disappear.

“Asami-sama!” gasped the girl, her features turning into a petrified expression. “I didn’t mean it like…”

Asami only held up his hand to stop the girl.

“Emi, I couldn’t even imagine you’d stoop so low as to alienate my current date with dirty tricks and false stories,” he commented nonchalantly.

“Asami-sama…” started to weep again the girl, probably because the man remembered her name.

“Please, let us continue our evening without any further disturbances,” said Asami, and he helped up the girl from his seat, escorting her towards the stairs that lead towards the floor. She hooked her arms around Asami’s neck, trying to pull the man into a kiss, but her tricks were ineffective, and Asami soon got rid of her, dumping her next to the other girl.

“It was an eventful encounter, that’s for sure,” grinned Akihito lightly.

“So, I’m not just some two legged wallet with a big dick?” asked Asami amused as he sat back into his seat, picking up the menu.

“No, you’re a two legged wallet with a big dick who has an intermediately good taste, I guess,” shrugged the boy and he mirrored Asami’s movement, picking up his menu, “By the way, I have no freaking idea of the food here. It’s like it’s in some Slavic or whatever language.”

“Don’t worry Akihito, I will satisfy each and every type of hunger you feel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is part one of the date, hooray!!
> 
> Part two comes next week :))
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello-hello everyone,
> 
> Here's the second part of the date yeey.
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos, I'm so glad to read that you like the story so much :))

As Akihito dug into his veal scallopini he could feel Asami’s intense gaze on himself. Of course, the man took the lead and ordered for them because Akihito couldn’t really call ordering fancy food in expensive restaurants his forte. After eating the appetizers, the fine tuna, salmon and eel delicacies, Akihito didn’t question Asami’s taste in food anymore.

Sure, the man lived in this kind of a world, ordering fancy food and expensive champagne, having lunch and dining at high-class places and attending glamorous parties. So why was he so caught up on a simple boy like him? He was but only a barista in a small café, originally from Fukuoka. He couldn’t give him anything but his heart and for a man like Asami it was something that wouldn’t be the most important thing in a relationship. Hell, these kinds of people marry for fortune and from partnerships, and get successors and not kids.

_I can’t believe I called him these kinds of people! He’d kill me for sure._

Maybe Asami just needed some refreshment from the ordinary rich life. Maybe he needed a cute plaything, a simple someone who could entertain him for a while. Maybe he just wanted to show to his peers that a simple minded somebody can be an eyecandy, a nice accessory, something that is nice to fuck and wrap around his pinky. 

Or maybe Asami really wanted to get rid of the rich lifestyle’s negative perks and starting something with an ordinary individual seemed something nice to start at. But most probably he won’t get out of there. He will visit the fancy restaurants and bars, he will eventually meet with a hotel-chain heiress or a supermodel with mile long legs, and he will realize that the ordinary life with ordinary people is tedious and disgraceful. And he’ll get rid of Akihito without a second thought.

But _if_ he seriously contemplated a relationship with Akihito, an all-strings attached type of something, he could easily find himself out of the circles of the rich. He could get ostracized from the business life and social circles and have his life crumble down quickly and at once. They would definitely break up before things went wrong and then it was a waste of everything from both of their sides.

Akihito slowly nibbled on his food, his mouth suddenly growing dry and his throat closing up from the thought. He felt like he wasted Asami’s time and potential. He felt like some kind of an inferior creature in this world. He just wanted to go home, because however strictly he countered the girl’s accusations and stories, he still felt insecure and out of place.

He put down his fork and knife and took a deep breath. He fixed his gaze onto the immaculately white tablecloth, trying to resolve the knot in his throat. It didn’t help.

“I’ll be right back,” he mumbled and already marched towards the restrooms, or wherever he could be a little bit alone, without waiting for Asami’s answer.

He took the steps of the loft two-three at a time, just wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. He felt the nausea building up inside him, the thought of bringing Asami down, ruining the perfect reputation and appearance of the man with his presence, hitting him heavily. As he passed by the crowded tables and the bar he could hear people murmuring behind him, mostly about his fucktoy or whatever status and praises about his skills and luck to have Asami care for him even if for only the night. The envious glances from both men and women made him feel worse, him almost agreeing with the accusations.

He shook his head and sprinted the last few metres out of the floor, hoping to get rid of the venomous whispers around him and most importantly in his head. He told the girl, Emi, that he didn’t ask for Asami’s courting, he didn’t make the man ask him out on a date and spoil him, he didn’t expect him to seriously bring him out on a date in a fancy restaurant with heavenly food and delicious drinks. He didn’t wish for any of this and he didn’t need them either. 

But this seemed to be Asami’s way of doing. His presence in the place felt natural, him knowing the waiters and concierge, and everyone seemed to be a tell-tale sign that he visited the place frequently. And he seriously tried to ruin his reputation by bringing the boy with him here, to a place he frequently visited.

“Fuck,” wheezed Akihito as he finally found the men’s room and breezed into the first booth.

He closed the door behind himself and leaned against it, his heart beating quickly and heavily, his head spinning. He needed to get out of there after he got himself normalized. He could do it. He could give the sign to Asami with his disappearance that he indeed wasn’t one that belonged in the man’s world. He could do it. He could make a clean cut and break up before it was too late.

After five minutes of inner struggle, he felt like somewhat himself again, and finally emerged from the booth. Nobody visited the restroom till he was in there and he thanked every deity above because he needed to be alone just a bit more to gather himself. He strutted over to one of the marble carved sinks and put his hands onto the cold material, supporting his weight as he leaned closer to the mirror on the wall. He examined his face, looking at the light lines on his forehead from frowning, the black circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep, and the chapped rosiness of his lips as he licked them on and on in his nervousness.

“I need to get out of here,” he breathed almost mute and he let the tap run to wash his face into some kind of a better shape. Maybe water could do something magical in an expensive place like this.

As he wiped his face with the soft linen hand towel placed on the side of the sink, he thought about his escape plan and whether it was really a good idea to execute it. Asami waited for him by their table and also his wonderful food laid there on a nice plate, warm and delicious, and he doesn’t really get that much of a chance to eat this kind of food.

No, he already decided to leave. Though he was at the other end of the city, maybe he had enough money to get a cab and go home. He didn’t know where the subway ran around here, and with bus it’d have taken him an eternity to get back to his place.

He opened the door of the restroom and looked out carefully, checking out the premises. He didn’t want to run into anybody who then could tell Asami that he’d escaped. Nobody seemed to be in the close vicinity, so he took all of his chances and ran towards the elevator.

As he ran he recognized that something seemed to be weird, but couldn’t comprehend just yet. But he knew that something was off though right now he brushed the thought off since he had other things on his plate. He pushed the button on the control panel, nervously fidgeting and waiting in front of the door, but it didn’t want to open just yet. He glanced at the display of floors and it shown that almost all of the elevators were on the lowest floors, them arriving soon just a faint hope.

Akihito turned quickly on his heels and decided to run through the corridors, searching for the door for the stairway. If he stalled and stayed for longer he might change his mind and goes back to the table to further downgrade Asami’s reputation. He didn’t want that.

As he sprinted around the floor, he saw the entrance for the staff, the back entrance of the kitchen, at least two more sets of restrooms and private rooms as well. No sign of stairways. 

_But these places need to have emergency exits! In fires they cannot use the freaking elevators!_

And as he finished this thought he saw a massive door with thick green lines, and the white sign “ _Emergency exit_ ” written on it. He ran right into the door, pushing down the handle and opening it, the breeze of freedom hitting his face.

And it weirdly smelt like familiarly expensive tobacco.

“I knew you’d run away,” came Asami’s composed, but none-the-less disappointed voice from his right side.

His head whipped in the man’s direction, a slight gasp leaving his mouth, and he found himself face-to-face with his truly, Asami Ryuichi, casually smoking in the emergency exit stairway. The man leaned against the wall next to the door the boy just burst through, and a half smoked cigarette dangled in his mouth.

“Akihito, what do _I_ need to do to make you change your mind?” asked Asami tiredly as he dropped the cigarette onto the floor and stepped on it, “I made them evict the whole restaurant, I could make them evict the whole hotel or even the whole ward if you’d feel better then.”

Akihito couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t believe that Asami knew exactly what he’d do. And even knew he’d go for the stairs. Was he always all that predictable?

“I… don’t want to…” started the boy slowly then, trying to gather his thoughts.

“You don’t want to what?” inquired Asami cocking his eyebrow, “If you don’t want to go on forward with me then just say so and I’ll leave you be.”

Akihito felt the world rush by him and he only stood there and blinked at Asami, because he didn’t want Asami to leave him be. The idea of Asami not being there scared him and left a dull aching pain in his heart. He didn’t want Asami to let him go. 

“Who am I kidding?” smirked Asami, amusement colouring his voice, “I won’t let you go, ever. If I have to lock you up in a cage I’ll do it. You will never get away, Akihito.”

“Wha…?” gaped Akihito, his mind slowly catching up with the happenings.

“I got a taste already, and it seems that you, my sweet boy, are an addiction. I need more and more, with less and less breaks and I can’t let you go however hard you want it. You are mine and mine alone, until I want you, until I say so. And I don’t see the end of it just yet,” Asami stepped close to him, grabbing Aki’s chin and lifting up the boy’s face to look at him, “so be prepared because wherever you run, wherever you try to hide I will find you, I will bring you back to me and I will punish you for being a bad boy going against my word.”

Akihito only stood there dumbfounded; his eyes locked on Asami’s golden coloured orbs and replayed the words again and again and again in his mind. Asami didn’t want to let him go, he wanted to keep the boy for longer.

Asami’s hand slowly let go of his chin and the fingers crawled towards the nape of his neck, with drumming a steady rhythm. The fingertips brushed the base of Akihito’s hair on his neck, slowly tickling and teasing the boy’s skin. Akihito didn’t dare to blink, he only stepped closer to Asami and waited for the man to lean closer, to seal their unsaid promise to each other.

He didn’t need to wait for long, the man teasingly slowly leaned in, their hot breaths of anticipation intermingling, and the next moment their mouths sealed, tongues meeting and mixing and feeling each other’s mouth. Akihito hooked his arms around Asami’s neck, pulling the man more into himself, never wanting to let go ever again. 

“I’m inevitably falling in love with you,“ sighed Akihito as their kiss came to an end, “I’m afraid what will happen when you get enough of me.”

Asami cradled the boy’s face, his thumb brushing his cheekbone over and over again. He looked Akihito deep in the eye and his mouth slowly curled into a charming smile.

“Don’t be afraid of it just yet, we’re still at the beginning, and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” he purred lowly, then took Akihito’s hand and started to lead him back towards the restaurant.

Akihito couldn’t hear anything more than their soft footsteps on the expensive carpet of the corridor: the previously heard chitchats and echoing of cutleries disappeared into nothingness. He whipped his head left and right, thinking that maybe he’d have something wrong with his ears, but he still couldn’t hear anything.

As they walked into the restaurant he realized that everyone on the floor disappeared into thin air. There were still plates on the tables with unfinished food, glasses filled with drinks and cigarettes in ashtrays still fuming smokes, but there weren’t a single soul in the hall besides them.

“What…?” asked Akihito surprised and a bit scared. Maybe everyone got abducted by aliens.

“I told you, I made them evict the whole restaurant just for you to feel better,” shrugged Asami and he pulled Akihito after himself, aiming for their table on the loft again.

“I didn’t ask you to make this,” replied quietly the boy, falling back into his chair.

“No, you didn’t ask me to do this,” nodded Asami slowly, then a satisfied smile rolled over his face, like Cheshire cat, “but I felt like doing it.”

They started on their foods again, that surprisingly didn’t grow cold during their encounter outside, and the silence and the cryptic mood surrounded them and swallowed them whole.

_Sometimes, when he says things like this, he scares the crap out of me._

“How’s my cousin doing in work?” asked Asami suddenly, and Akihito needed to re-focus his mind because it was such a domestic topic that he almost couldn’t believe the words that left Asami’s mouth.

“Good… I guess,” he answered slowly, considering each and every letter that left his mouth, “Though she broke more cups than I can count on two hands.”

Asami only rolled his eyes, probably because he expected that Rina’d be such a hindrance in the catering industry.

“Why don’t you just fire her?” inquired Asami further while he delicately sliced his fancy medium stake, “I mean if she doesn’t have the capabilities then she doesn’t have them, however hard she tries.”

“No, it’s okay, we don’t give her any more catering tasks anymore. Or the dishwashing either,” shrugged Akihito, “she’s working on the re-design currently, and sometimes takes takeaway orders.”

With the small talk edged into their dinner, Akihito started to feel more relaxed, and most probably Asami aimed for this effect. They continued their chitchatting while finishing the dish, then drank the wine and off they were, Asami pulling Akihito towards the elevator, explaining something about having their desserts served in the suite.

“Please tell me you didn’t book a suite,” rattled off Akihito, freeing his hand from Asami’s clutch.

“Actually I did and we are going to use it whether you like it or not,” mused Asami while he made Akihito back to the wall of the corridor, caging the boy with both palms pushed against the intricately patterned wallpaper on his fragile sides.

“You don’t scare me,” fought Akihito fiercly though he didn’t even know against what.

“I don’t intend to scare you,” cocked his head Asami to the side, “I’m just preventing you running away again. Though I could catch up to you now in a suit, without you having a start.”

“I wonder,” replied Akihito cheekily, sneaking his hands around Asami’s waist under the suit jacket. His fingers found the clasp of the vest in the back and started to nervously fumble with it.

“I told you already you won’t get away.”

 

As Akihito kneeled on the expensive carpet of the elevator, Asami’s cock fully buried in his mouth and the man’s balls rolling in his left hand, he tried to recollect the events that lead them to have public sex in the elevator of an expensive hotel. He wriggled his legs a little bit more open, letting his own erection in his jeans to position itself to a more comfortable stand. Though it would have been better if he’d opened his zipper, unfortunately he currently had other matters at hand.

They got into the elevator not so long before, then Asami kissed him and pushed him up against the cold glass of the cabin and grinded his clothed erection against the boy’s ass. And after that he somehow ended up on the floor and Asami almost fucked him in the mouth and he explained something about a punishment but he didn’t really comprehend because everything happened so suddenly.

As he lapped and sucked the magnificent shaft, his gaze wandered above and above, checking out Asami’s face to see whether he had the desired effect or not. When his gaze met with the other man’s he quickly evaded, but Asami only grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head upwards, making the boy maintain the eye-contact.

“Look at me, Akihito, I won’t bite,” smirked Asami, then continued, “at least not right now.”

_You smug bastard, you think this is a game?!_

He dived into the blowjob again, running his tongue around the cock, letting his saliva mixed with Asami’s pre-cum slowly drool out of his mouth and drop onto his shirt and jacket. He fought against the gagging feeling nagging in his mind and throat, and let the shaft slip out of his mouth, finally letting air into his mouth.

“Did you give up? It _is_ a punishment because you wanted to skip in the middle of our date,” gripped his hair Asami with a little bit of force, and nudged his cock against the boy’s barely opened mouth.

“Just a… second,” wheezed the boy as he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he licked the dripping bodily fluids from the other corner, and he positioned himself to start sucking off Asami again. He shook off his jacket and threw it away, out of the way.

Then something came in his mind. They weren’t moving. The elevator wasn’t, to be exact. He glanced around and saw that on the other side of the cabin, on the dashboard, the red stop button blinked like a security signal for planes on tall buildings.

“Nobody will disturb us, don’t worry,” smiled Asami, then he looked at Akihito expectantly.

The boy only gulped then raised his hand, that supported him till now, clutching Asami’s thigh, and grabbed the shaft’s base. He draw his tongue along the underside of the whole impressive length of the cock then dipped the tip of his tongue into the slit, tasting the bitterness and saltiness numbing his every taste receptors. He circled his tongue around the head of the cock then took it in his mouth slowly again, savouring the last few seconds before having his mouth fully blocked again. Asami’s manhood reached way past till the back of his throat and he gathered each and every little knowledge he had about deep throating and getting rid of gag reflexes during giving head. He hummed, gulped and lapped around the cock, his fingers fondling Asami’s balls and his other hand sneaking to ease his zipper to let his own cock free.

“No,” said Asami sturdily, gently kicking Akihito’s hand away from his fly.

“P’eaze,” whined Akihito with the cock still blocking most of his mouth.

“Remember Akihito, this is a punishment,” smirked Asami, then he cradled Akihito’s head with both hands and started to slowly thrust in and out of the boy’s mouth, “Next time think twice about going against me.”

As Asami fucked him in the mouth, he felt his own body getting more and more sensitive and excited. The hard linen of his shirt scraped against his achingly standing nipples, the cotton of his boxers’ friction against his dick driving him crazy. He felt like coming just from these little movements and he fought as hard as he could, sweat beading on his temples.

Finally Asami let go of his head, his cock slipping out of the boy’s mouth with an obscenely loud pop and Akihito could exactly imagine how slutty he looked, his cheeks flushed, his mouth red and puffy, saliva dripping from the corners of it and his eyes hazy and dazed with desire and the promise of up-coming satisfaction.

“Stand up, Akihito,” ordered him Asami, and though he sounded so strong-willed, he still helped the boy up by grabbing his upper arms and pulling him upwards.

He positioned Akihito, turning him around, pushing his head and shoulders against the glass, while grabbing the boy’s ass and pulling it against himself. He opened the boy’s fly and slowly pulled off both the pants and boxer briefs on the milky white thighs with contracting muscles, and through the bony knees and strong calf, until the boots.

“It’s not good like this,” commented the man as he slapped Akihito’s ass, leaving the loud cracking noise echoing in the cabin, “get rid of them.”

Akihito only did as he was told: he kicked off the boots and stepped out of the pants. He nudged them away to not to disturb them, then stepped back to the glass, palms against the cold surface, his ass pushed towards Asami and his legs in a perfect stride.

“Good,” acknowledged Asami, “Now prepare yourself.”

“I don’t have any lubricant to do it with,” countered Akihito.

“You’re a creative boy, you will solve it somehow,” replied the man and he slowly stepped closer to the boy and grinded his erection between Aki’s buttocks. His hands crawled up and down on the boy’s side and he leaned in to suck and nibble on Akihito’s neck and right ear.

Akihito only sighed heavily then put two of his fingers into his mouth and started to suck and lap on them, making them slippery to enter himself with them. Asami’s hot breath and warm upper body pushed up against him started to drive him crazy, and when the exploring hands started to unbutton his shirt, he gave up. As Asami teased and pinched the freed nipples, he unconsciously started to moan into his own fingers.

Asami suddenly grabbed his wrist and yanked the digits out of the boy’s mouth, turning Akihito’s head slightly to himself and kissing the boy passionately, pushing up Aki’s mostly bare body against the freezing cold window. He gasped and moaned as Asami’s other hand encircled his erection and started to pump him, while big per cent of his skin got more and more excited and sensitive thanks to the cold sensation from his torso.

“Nha… Asa… mi,” moaned the boy.

Asami only licked and nibbled on the abandoned fingers of the boy, coating them in his own saliva, letting it mix with Akihito’s already glistening one. They grinded against each other, letting their animalistic instincts take over their rational minds and slowly Akihito started to near his first climax, Asami’s hand never leaving his cock and never letting down its pace.

“Prepare yourself, Akihito,” rumbled the man into his ears and Akihito was more than ready to oblige.

He positioned his hand to his ass and his first spit-coated finger slowly nudged itself through his entrance. It felt weird to finger himself again, to prepare himself again, since in the past few months he’s never taken up this task. But it wasn’t unfamiliar with him so he quickly got adjusted.

When he finally scissored himself ready, he reached back for Asami’s cock and slowly positioned it for entering. Asami only growled deep in his throat then his cock pushed into the boy in one swift motion, taking away Akihito’s breath and making him shiver with excitement.

“What do you see, Akihito?” asked the man, as his palms also pushed against the glass, just above Akihito’s supporting hands.

“Tokyo,” wheezed the boy, fighting against the immediate orgasm that wanted to break out of him.

“You can have it all if you want it,” murmured Asami into his ear then bit down on the lobe, slowly nibbling and sucking on it.

As he got thrust into with more and more vigour, Akihito only could think about the fact that he almost missed this fuck in the elevator over lit-up Tokyo, because he almost chickened out of this something of a relationship. It would have been a grave mistake.

“I don’t want it,” he replied slowly.

One of his hands found its way to his own cock and he started to pump it again with the rhythm of Asami’s thrusts.

“Then what is it your heart desires, my dear Akihito?” asked Asami a little out of breath, “I can give you anything and everything.”

“You,” whined Akihito on the verge of utmost pleasure, “I only want you.”

Asami stopped for a moment, probably to contemplate the words that left Akihito’s perfect mouth, then he grabbed the boy’s waist and started to ram into him mercilessly.

“Oh God, Asa… Asami… Please…” he moaned and gasped, his mind slowly turning white.

“Don’t speak without a thought, Akihito,” hissed Asami through gritted teeth.

The speed and force of the fuck multiplied, Asami giving all of his stamina to drive Akihito crazy with need and want and his climax. His cock brushed Aki’s prostate again and again and again, his hand gripping the boy’s body so tight that they left purplish-reddish bruises in their wake.

“I can’t take it… oh… God!” moaned Akihito, as his own cock started to rub against the cold glass thanks to Asami’s vigorous movements.

Asami, without any notice, ripped the shirt off from Akihito’s shoulder and bit into the boy’s flesh, tearing the skin and making it bleed. And this tipped Akihito off the edge. His cum shot out from his cock just like fancy white ribbons from a party cannon and painted the glass of the elevator with nonfigurative lines, drivelling downwards on the smooth surface. 

Asami followed behind not long after, and just before he let himself go, he pulled out of Akihito and had his cum splatter all over the boy’s ass and back, soiling the boy’s clothing.

“I hope you don’t think we’re finished,” smirked Asami, and he grabbed Aki’s shoulder and spun the boy around, making him step back to the glass and push his back onto the cold surface.

“I wouldn’t expect you to be satisfied with just one round,” grinned Akihito, and he weaved his arms around Asami’s neck, pulling the man into a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is! Hope you liked it! :))
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next week :33


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> I'm sorry for the late posting, but I had some problems with my computer and internet during the weekend :(((
> 
> But here's the new chappy yeey!!
> 
> I don't know about the next update since I have my birthday on Thursday so I'll probably spend my weekend partying and drinking with friends. But I'll have a new chapter as soon as I'm able to do it :))
> 
> Hugs,  
> Nikó

As Akihito closed the door of the apartment behind himself, he found out that his friends eagerly waited for his return. He didn’t even have the chance to take off his shoes after his walk of shame (or preferably limp of shame because he couldn’t walk properly after the past almost twelve hours), Akira and Kou grabbed his arms and pushed him onto the sofa, while Rin made sure he locked the door, cutting every opportunity of escape, willing Aki to tell every little detail of the date.

And he really planned to, but didn’t know where to start. The whirlwind of events only caught him and almost made him drown, his thoughts and feelings tumbling on each other. Should he start with the casino? Or tell about InterContinental Tokyo Bay? Or the people there and the luxurious interior? They should have been there. No, they definitely shouldn’t have been there because his friends most probably would have wrecked havoc, but they should have planted a secret camera on him so they could have seen the details. Though not all of them. Especially not the hot scenes in the elevator and the sport gymnastics in the exclusive suite with its own walk-in closet, bar, 360 degree panorama view for the city and the huge balcony with the Jacuzzi.

“It… was…” he started slowly, tasting every word in his mouth. The adjectives he planned to use seemed so pretentious and cliché, he couldn’t really decide what to use, “good, I guess.”

“Why don’t you use that eloquent speech of yours when you are about to tell us about your fantastic date with prince charming?” plopped down Rin next to the boy, “though you are perfectly available to use those words when you reprimand us.”

Akihito felt his face colour to a slight blush, the memories of the previous evening coming back to him. The excitement in the casino and the afterglow of it that made him so horny, the delicious taste of gourmet food and the sweetness of the wine, and finally Asami’s heated kisses, those tobacco filled sweet little nothings that blew his mind over and over again. And of course the sex that made him weak in the knees and his resolves so loose.

“I mean, he took me to a nice hotel, where we went to a restaurant and had a suite booked for the two of us. And you know what happens there, I suppose,” shrugged Aki apologetically, feeling the scrutinizing gazes from his friends.

“OMG! Is he back?!” hurried into the room Rina, wearing a man’s t-shirt and boxer shorts. The evidences that she just woke up were palpable: her eyelids stuck together a bit and her hair formed a lovely mess. She looked like a heroine from a romantic comedy. “You bitches didn’t wake me up! I told you to get me when he’s back!”

Akihito’s smile automatically formed on his heated face, Rina’s dirty mouth easing the tension and the feeling of interrogation in the room. Sure she looked like a clumsy heroine, but spoke like a sailor.

“So, Aki- _chan_ , did Ryu bang the living daylight out of you?” asked the girl knowingly, winking so obviously.

“I’m pretty sure that phrase doesn’t go like this,” sighed the boy and, even though he didn’t want to let it happen, his face got so much redder because yes, Asami banged the living daylight out of him. He could almost still get an orgasm just thinking about the happenings: the light touches and teasing bites, and, oh god, that enormous cock rammed into him without hesitation.

He anxiously coughed then emerged from the sofa and awkwardly shuffled into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He needed to do something with his hands or he’d fidget uncomfortably until he got interrogated dry. And then the others would tease him till eternity because he acted just like a damsel in distress during the day and a lecherous porn star during the night.

“So what did you do yesterday?” he asked casually, trying to lead the others to any other topics that didn’t concerned him getting fucked hard and long all night long into the morning.

“We went to the movies, to watch this new super awesome comics movie!” started Kou excitedly. He dropped down onto his usual beanbag and threw his arms into the air, “Seriously, you need to check it out with that prince charming of yours, that movie is superb!”

“Yes, I can totally imagine inviting him out to a film where there’s a genetically modified racoon with machineguns with a talking tree. He’d totally want to see it,” rolled his eyes Akihito.

“He’d go to the fucking moon on a unicycle, juggling with plates if you’d ask him,” yawned Rina, then she scooted over to Akira, burrowing her face into the boy’s shoulder.

Akihito only gaped at them, his mouth slowly popping open. He couldn’t say anything because he didn’t expect his flatmate and friend to go out with a girl like Rina. They were so totally different, in attitude and in their past and everything. It was crazy.

“Are you guys going out?” asked Akihito surprised, the pieces slowly clicking together.

“Welcome back in our life,” spread out his arms Akira, “You were so busy with your Casanova that you missed most of our happenings.”

“So, loverboy, you won’t get away, don’t worry, but we are going out tonight so be prepared!” grinned Rin.

“No way,” deadpanned Akihito, “I’m in no condition to go out with you. Especially not on a Sunday!”

“C’mon, tomorrow we’re on afternoon shift,” whined Rina.

“You’re not even working actively!” hissed Aki irritated, “And I’d love to see you prancing around after getting a big rod thrust int…” he stopped immediately when he realized what he was just about to say.

“Yes, Akihito? Please continue,” grinned Kou.

“Nothing. I’m going to sleep,” rattled out the boy quickly then he already strutted towards his room on the other end of the flat.

“We’ll wake you up in three hours!”

 

He stood in the middle of Shibuya, the sun obnoxiously shining into his eyes and almost making him blind. As he questioned his existence and the reasons of him being on that exact spot, he formed a blind with his right hand and checked around the crowd that acquired every inch of the street. Rin said something about shopping for the night, but he just wished with every fibre of his body to burrow himself into his bed, building a makeshift nest from his duvet and pillows and sleep. No, he didn’t need to be in his small single bed, but in Asami’s huge king-sized one with the silk sheets and so soft pillows that they almost swallowed Akihito up into another dimension.

And still, here he stood in the middle of the busiest intersection of whole Japan and waited for the light to change to green. The others excitedly chatted around him about the places they should visit during their night trip, but he felt like he suffered from a hangover. Maybe there’s a hangover for all-night-long fuck fests, who knew. He should google it later when he got home.

“Seriousy, take me to Sion, guys,” whined Rina as she intertwined her fingers with Akira’s.

“You’re the cousin of a frequenter, it should be the other way round,” shrugged Akira and he cradled the girl’s shoulders playfully, pulling Rina into him.

“Ryu’s a bitch, he doesn’t want to let me go there so he made them ban me with his contacts,” sighed the girl.

_I’m sure he had one or two pretty good reasons._

Akihito only absentmindedly listened and still didn’t understand why did Asami have that big of an influence in the life of the club. But he didn’t dare to think about it more in depth since he felt like his brain would melt and drip out of his ears.

The light suddenly turned green and the masses started to flow. In the next moment the others went lost from Aki’s line of sight and he got mixed amongst the different nationalities with cameras and obnoxious souvenir T-shirts, screaming and chatting loudly in foreign languages and taking up more space than they necessary needed. He spun around and around, trying to determine the direction where his friends disappeared but he didn’t succeed.

“I don’t care, I’m going home,” sighed the boy finally and he turned in the direction of the subway when someone grabbed his right lower arm.

“Oh no, you don’t!” chirped Rina and she started to drag the defeated Akihito through the intersection where the light already blinked.

They crossed the street, the last few meters spent with sprinting, then joined the others waiting right in front of a lingerie shop. Akihito felt terrified. He rarely experienced such a pure horror that took over his mind and numbed his every atom. He hated shopping for clothes and especially for underwear or whatever. And they always thought he was a pervert – or at least he felt like being judged when he walked around the woman section and checked out bras and thongs and suspenders.

“I’ll wait for you in Subway,” he started, slowly trying to sneak his arm out of Rina’s grip and turning to leave.

“You know what is happening next Thursday?” asked Rina without easing her pressure on the boy’s arm.

“You’re going on a long holiday and leave me be for the record?” replied Akihito, without a beat, cheekily.

“It’s going to be your _boyfriend’s_ precious birthday,” smiled Rina so familiarly to Asami’s cunning one.

“No way!” shrieked Akihito, a slow panic building up in him.

His mind already started to race what to give to Asami, but he didn’t have any money, didn’t know any good places to visit and didn’t even know what the man wanted. Hell, he hasn’t even mentioned that he had a birthday coming up. Sure, he’d throw some fancy party in an impressive place, with expensive champagne the amount of the sea and delicious food from Michelin-star chefs, and, of course, exclusive people from the world of the rich. He wouldn’t have a place there that was for sure. Crap, he shouldn’t even contemplate attending a party like that because people would think that he was some kind of a waiter. Though he’d definitely be some kind of a rude waiter to boot at that.

“Yes way, my dear Aki-chan, and I’m giving you as a present,” grinned the girl as she casually shoved Akihito into the shop, the bell obnoxiously ringing above the door.

The others tumbled in after them, closing every possible chance of escape from the boy. Being confined in the shop where the walls were lined with lacy thongs and pretty bras with nice patterns, he felt just like a wild animal that knows it’ll meet its end soon.

“What are you planning? I have enough underwear,” he tried defending himself desperately, still measuring the routes where he could get away.

“Don’t worry, we’re planning to make you wear something nice and sexy,” beamed Rina and she started to walk to the other end of the shop.

Kou and Akira took Akihito’s shoulders and started to carry him towards the given direction. They passed by mannequins dressed in fine underwear and racks and racks of panties, and finally they entered the realm of men. There were briefs, boxer shorts, boxer briefs and so many other things, but the one that Akihito got almost freaked out because of were the long, long racks of many thongs with different patterns and fabrics.

“There’s no way in hell you make me wear one of those!” he whined as he got tossed into the dressing room.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to show it anyone but Ryu,” bubbled Rina as she leafed through some sexy, leopard printed thongs with soft lace on the sides.

“I especially don’t want to show it to him!” shrieked the boy.

“C’mon, he’d love it!” encouraged him the girl, and she tossed at least half a dozen underwear to Akira, “Make him wear them,” she ordered.

Akira walked up to Akihito, and held out the shiny pile of fabrics to the boy.

“If you make me do this, friendship’s over. I just thought I’d inform you,” gritted his teeth Akihito while he did not take the garments.

“I’m sorry, man, I’m not sleeping with you so your word doesn’t really matter,” shrugged Akira casually.

Akihito only sighed then in the next moment surprised everyone by jumping to the open right of his friend and starting to sprint in-between the lines and lines of panties, trying to get to the entrance of the shop, trying to get out into the crowd to disappear without a trace. He could almost feel the warm summer breeze brushing his face when he got mercilessly tackled by Kou, who appeared out of nowhere, most probably from checking out nice bras for his girlfriend.

“No! Let go of me!” screamed Akihito as he got dragged back towards the dressing rooms. Kou tossed him into one of the cabins again and stood before it, not to let the boy escape.

“I’m sorry, but I’d love to see you in one of these,” grinned his so-called best friend and he slingshot a thong towards the boy.

“I hate all of you so much,” sulked Akihito as he finally gave up and started to unbuckle his pants. He gave up struggling and decided to get over with it as soon as possible.

“Sweetheart, it’s gonna be okay,” soothed his friend his ruffled feathers, “By the way I promised Takato to send a picture, so…”

“Go fuck yourself!” shrieked Akihito as he shut the door of the cabin with a loud click.

He dropped his pants and stepped out of them (the happenings in the elevator getting back to him in a heartbeat and he felt his cock harden just a bit), while he decided to try on one of the lacy black thongs because those were the most normal from the bunch. The others had disgusting colours or flashy fabric, or just simply slutty appearance. These ones at least had some chic style to them and some nice, elegant aura.

He put on the underwear and pulled up his t-shirt to check out himself in the huge mirror of the cabin. He looked so slutty and so fuckable even for himself that his face lit up with burning shame. He let himself think about Asami’s reaction, the golden eyes melting with desire and the heated kisses. He imagined as the man slowly wrapped him out of the thongs, making sure to tease him till the brim, and letting him want more and more, waiting for a fuck that he couldn’t forget ever in his life.

And in that moment his phone started to ring.

“Crap!” he hissed as he started to dig inside the pockets of his jeans that laid on the floor, searching for his device. He put it to his ear without checking out the caller ID, “Yes?” 

“Since you have heroically endured our wonderful outing yesterday, I hope you are already using happily your brand new camera, my sweet Akihito,” came Asami’s calm voice from the other side.

_Oh God, no, why now? I feel like he can see me!_

He fidgeted and tried to pull his t-shirt down to hide his nether regions wrapped in the slutty thongs, his slight erection straining against the fine fabric.

“No, not yet, your cousin and my friends dragged me out to shop some stuff in freaking Shibuya,” he answered hopefully casually, though he felt like running home without looking back, “It’s hot and crowded and I hate people.”

“What kind of some stuff?” asked the man with mild interest, touching the only thing Akihito didn’t intend to talk about because he knew that Asami would tease him for it.

“I don’t know,” replied Akihito hurriedly, “stuff.”

Some moments of awkward silence took over the phone line. Akihito contemplated that maybe he should make some sexy photos and send it to Asami, but to be honest they haven’t been on that level yet, and also he’d be so ashamed if those pictures were seen by anyone else but him and Asami.

“Hey, what are you doing next Thursday?” he asked suddenly, trying to act nonchalant and casual.

“What did that stupid girl tell you?” roared Asami tiredly.

“Rina? Nothing,” lied Akihito, and it came somehow quite naturally, “Was she supposed to tell me something?”

“No, nothing,” sighed Asami, “I don’t have any particular plans yet, though I suppose, after your request, I most probably will.”

Akihito gulped silently then took a deep breath to gather courage for asking his next question.

“I mean, I have the next day off so I thought that I maybe could cook us some dinner and have some fun with just the two of us? Maybe watching a movie?” he asked nervously, “Of course only if you feel like doing it?”

Asami didn’t answer right away, and Akihito felt like clawing out his own eyes because he felt so pathetically nervous and he was sure that Asami had a birthday party planned but he didn’t plan to tell Akihito so he currently searched for a good reason to decline the boy’s offer. He unconsciously started to bite his nails, his worst thoughts getting up onto the surface.

“According to my schedule, I’ll be done with work by nine so if you come by 9:30 pm it’s okay,” said Asami finally and Akihito let out a sigh of relief, “You know where to come.”

“Sure, I’ll be there,” he smiled to himself, feeling the warmth caused by the positive answer engulfing his insides and filling him up with happiness to the brim.

“Oi, bitch, are you ready?” yanked the door of the cabin open Akira suddenly, and Akihito couldn’t do anything but plastering himself all over the wall while he reached for his pants to have something cover him.

“Get out of here you idiot!” he hissed angrily, the phone still held onto his ears, the call still connected.

“Wow, I’d fuck you on the spot,” mused Akira only half-joking.

“Shut the hell up you asshole!” screeched Akihito, and he didn’t know what to tell Asami so suddenly.

“Is it your Don Juan?” grinned Akira, then he leaned closer to the phone and started to chitchat happily, “Man, you don’t know what you’re missing out right now, holy shit, I’m erect just from the thought of it!”

“Oh my God, you retard, go away!” exclaimed Akihito and he finally pushed his friend out of the dressing cabin, leaving him alone with the awkward and pregnant silence on the phone, “Uumm…”

“I see you have fun,” commented Asami somewhat amused but then his voice took up a dark undertone, “But remember this, Akihito, if you let any other man touch you, I’m burying him six feet under and lock you up till all eternity, am I clear?” 

“Yes, sir, crystal clear, sir!” replied the boy immediately once again fearing for his life.

“I’m glad we have discussed this. I’ll see you on Thursday then,” changed back Asami’s tone to his normal leisure one.

“Yes… see you…” mumbled Akihito then the call got cut off.

He stood for at least five more minutes in silence, only watching the black screen of his phone and tried to fight against the mild discomfort that awoke in him thanks to Asami’s cold hard words. After Asami shooting Kai, he could definitely imagine the man killing someone and having them buried deep down under. Or maybe buried alive to boot it.

“Akira, you fucking bitch, I’m gonna murder you!” he shouted finally, and he only received the laughter of his friends as an answer for his fuming.

 

The place the others decided on to go to stood just in the direct neighbourhood of the expensive district of Roppongi, the prices of the drinks clearly meant for the ones who could afford them, so sure as hell they were not really intended for Akihito and his friends, most of them broke as hell. Though Akira decided to be gallant and pay for the drinks, coming from the pay check from his last work, they still didn’t dare to go really deep into the drinks’ list. However they were glad to join the crowd on the dance floor, jumping, singing and shaking themselves to the newest party songs available. At least they could afford feeling themselves good because of the environment and the music.

After a while they returned to their booked booth not so far from the bar, and they enjoyed their drinks while chatting casually about whatever they had in mind. And of course, Akihito had Asami in mind, as usual, so he turned to Rina a bit tipsy and started to interrogate the girl about his boyfriend.

“What does your _lovely_ cousin do?” he asked and he took a long sip of his Raspberry Colada.

“He’s a businessman,” came the diplomatic answer from the girl, leaving everybody wanting to hear more.

“Care to elaborate?” inquired Takato, slowly spinning his beer mug on the coaster with the bar’s green and black logo.

“He… invests… into… things?” said Rina slowly, the hardships of alcohol filled thoughts showing on her face.

“What type of things?” grilled her Kou as well.

“Uum… clubs… and bars and… apartment complexes and… uumm… things,” shrugged the girl giddily, “Oh and he has overseas partnerships as well!”

The boys only shared a knowing glance then looked at Akihito like he was about to marry the prince of an elite European country. He felt himself pathetically far from getting married, or moving in with someone for that matter, so he only sipped on his drink casually and didn’t dare to comment anything on the matter.

Sure, Asami had money, style and connections but he was still a human; a very interesting one at that, to be honest. His mood swings and his hot and cold attitude sometimes scared the crap out of Akihito, blinking with warning signs that told him to turn back and never return, not even look back. And regardless he went on and on, trying to dig deeper into the man, getting to know him and his private self, edging closer to the Asami Ryuichi who slept naked, spent his Sundays reading the paper on the terrace and had an eccentric cousin who forced herself on his mercy each and every time since they were kids. He liked that man and planned to get to know him more, crawling under his skin and invading his each and every thought and everyday life. He decided: Takaba Akihito in this relationship came to stay, whether people liked it or not. Or at least his drunken persona had this weird committing thing going on in him, making him think up thoughts that weren’t necessarily the best one at that moment.

“Come, dance with me, Aki-chan!” shrieked Rina happily into his ears and he was already on his feet, grabbing the girl’s hands and pulling her into the crowd on the dance floor, while the others still remained seated at their booth.

“I like this place!” shouted Akihito to Rina because the music played on an almost deafening level.

“I know! But I bet Sion is hundred times better!” replied Rina and she got pushed up to Akihito thanks to some slut in cheetah printed mini dress.

“Crap, it’s like sardines in the can,” commented the boy, and he edged a bit back to let the girl some place to move.

“You want him here, don’t you?” asked Rina knowingly, and she giggled when Akihito’s face started to blush. It was hardly distinguishable in the pale, blinking strobe lights, but she had a sixth sense to decipher when Akihito felt awkward. This sense seemed to run in the family, since Asami also had the God-given talent to call Akihito out on these kinds of things.

“I can’t imagine him dancing to this kind of music in a place like this,” shrugged the boy, and he felt that an elbow got buried in his back, only a few inches from his spine, “Correction, I can’t imagine him dancing at all.”

“He’s actually pretty good, especially with slow dance, everyone swoons over his perfectness during the waltz on parties,” grinned the girl and she hugged Aki’s waist, pushing his face onto the boy’s shoulder, “make him ask you for a dance. It’s magical.”

“You speak like he already had you dancing,” mused Akihito, and he also hugged the girl tight to himself.

“Of course he did, I nagged him until he agreed to it. We even have a video, it was on my graduation party for the whole family, his face is priceless when he realizes we’re being taped,” chuckled Rina and she blinked up into the boy’s face, “I’ll show it to you when we’re at his place, I know where he keeps these things.”

Akihito’s only answer seemed to be a warm smile because he could just imagine young Asami spinning around with young Rina, floating on the dance floor, amongst their perfect family members and wonderful environment. He didn’t know anything about Asami’s or Rina’s past but he would have bet all of his fortune that they grew up in an elite family, visiting private schools and being educated by international tutors in arts, sciences and social sciences.

Crap, he wanted to see that video. And more videos and photos, and every little nostalgic relic that Asami had hidden in his flat from his secretly kept past. Akihito wanted to know him more and love him more because he felt like loving someone wholeheartedly again. And he wished to be loved the same way.

“Hey, can I buy you a drink?” came up a guy to Akihito, his undercut and low V-neck showing his style evidently.

“I have a boyfriend, but thank you,” answered the boy with an apologetic smile, though he felt so proud saying the words. He already started to turn back towards Rina, but the guy just didn’t let him go.

“I didn’t invite you for a fuck in the bathroom, but for only a drink,” replied the guy persistently, sneaking a hand on the boy’s waist.

“I declined politely,” hissed Akihito a bit angrily, “now, please, let me enjoy my night further on.”

“C’mon, I just want to buy you a drink, am I not allowed, sweetheart?” smiled the guy trying to be charming.

“Man, I don’t know what is your problem, but no means no,” said Akihito finally and he started out of the crowd, pushing Rina in front of him. He didn’t have time for these assholes.

“You little faggott, you think you’re such a special sunshine?” grabbed the guy his shoulder when they were already out of the crowd on the corridor to the bathrooms.

“Leave me alone, you asshole,” growled Akihito, mostly the alcohol lending him his new-found brevity, “nobody’s interested in your douchebag attitude.”

“You piece of shit!” roared the guy, and in the next moment his balled fist flew in the direction of Aki’s face.

The boy unconsciously screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the impact, his brevity flying out the window and when the hit didn’t come he dared to open one of his eyes. The douchebag stood there plastered onto the wall, by another guy in grey suit pants and black shirt, his arm turned out awkwardly and into his back.

“Oh, you’re…!” started Rina, but the guy shook his head slightly signalling her to shut up and don’t blow his cover. Akihito didn’t pay attention to their banter because he watched mesmerised as the guy pathetically whined in his confines, his tears from pain streaming down his face.

“Thank you!” bubbled Rina suddenly and she grabbed Akihito’s hand and started to tug him back towards their booth.

Akihito still watched the two men on the corridor while they moved back to their place, the guy who came to the rescue ringing a bell in his head. He never had déjà vu and most probably it felt like the thing he just experienced.

He saw that guy already, and not just one time in his life. Though he couldn’t put his finger on it just yet.

When they returned to their booth, the others still sat there, chatting excitedly about the new video games that were coming up in the next few months, new drinks standing in front of them.

“Some Korean guys came by and bought us a round, aren’t they awesome?” asked Rin grinning, sloshing his drink in his glass almost comically, “Come on guys, and lady, let’s toast!”

They held their glasses up, clinking them and cheering and soon after Akihito totally forgot about the previous happenings and gave himself up to the beat of the music infecting his whole body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the notes and kudos and...
> 
> yepp next chapter is Ryu's b-day!! BANZAII!!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone,
> 
> I am so very sorry for the hiatus for the past three weeks: I injured my leg and got hospitalised and drugged numb with painkillers.
> 
> But here it is! The long awaited chapter with Ryu's B-day! Banzaii!! And it's even only the first chapter of the celebration!
> 
> Seriously, I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long. Don't worry I haven't forgotten the story!!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter :))

The few last days before the anticipated Thursday rushed past Akihito with unimaginable speed, the boy himself caught up in the whirlwind of events and preparations and skipping his usually long sleeps to get ready for Asami’s birthday.

He brainstormed with Rina and the boys about the gifts he could give to the man and even though he received a lot of good ideas, he never got that “ _aha_ ”-feeling that would have meant that he found the right thing to give. Eventually he seriously contemplated putting a red bow on top of his head and letting Asami do to him whatever the man wanted. Of course, after the wonderful dinner he cooked for the celebration.

Oh yes, the dinner. He freaked out because he said he wanted to cook, but he couldn’t really do anything that good or that fancy, just the normal Japanese foods he got used to when he grew up. His mom taught him the simple dishes and some of the recipes that remained in the family for decades now, but he didn’t really have that huge repertoire of wonderful foods that could compete with the delicious gourmet dishes from the expensive restaurants Asami frequented.

So he practiced.

He prepared everything he could think of from Sunday evening till Thursday lunch, his friends being the taste testers. He grilled and pan-fired, tried one-pot cooked dishes, prepared sashimi, stewed whatever he could and even thought about doing hot pot. His wallet got into serious danger of being emptied out till the end of the month and August only just started. But he wanted to do something perfect for Asami; something that could show that he could be not just a fine accessory, but a useful partner as well. And of course he intended to charm the man because he was already wrapped around Asami’s finger.

Besides preparing meals for the boys and working his ass off in the café, he also ran around town, chasing the silver sedan during the evenings, trying to sneak candid shots of Asami during his work. He asked Rina’s help with the investigation of Asami’s schedule, and she also carpooled him when she had the time. Though it usually meant them parking and hiding in alleys as Asami went from one fancy restaurant to another or even to high-class clubs and casinos. But at least Akihito could use the new camera he received rightfully after his date with Asami.

He couldn’t think of anything else to give to the man, but some nicely timed shots from around his everyday life. Sure, Asami wasn’t that eccentric as to have a dozen or so pictures of himself in his bedroom, but to have some smoothly mosaicked pictures, some slices of his life photographed professionally, that seemed to be a whole another matter. 

So Akihito made pictures, a lot of them. He filled up at least three SD cards and selected through the whole bunch each night after returning home. He got pictures of Asami’s car parking in front of the clubs he visited, the cuff and cufflink of his right hand, his expensive gold brand watch, his polished shoes on the sidewalk, his perfectly gelled hair, his strict eyebrows and the straight line of his nose, the sculpted lips and the sharp cheekbones. 

As Akihito leafed through the pictures night after night he could only feel himself sink deeper and deeper into the enigma called Asami Ryuichi, because he still did not know anything about the man and he still felt so drawn to him, the mysterious aura around him driving the boy crazy. He saw Asami daily, seen him work and followed him around town on his rounds to various places and he couldn’t get enough. He wanted to know more. He _needed_ to know more. He thirsted for knowledge, to get to know each and every little secret Asami hid behind his collected façade and reserved attitude. The thought of the privilege of being the only one inside the circle of trust overwhelmed him. Okay, most probably not the only one, because Glasses guy and Driver guy almost a hundred per cent sure knew everything, and Rina also had some ideas, but still not being an outsider seemed to be a huge leap.

And he, more than anything, wanted to take that leap, wanted to know Asami in and out, back and forth, up and down. He wanted to share everything with the man, and wanted Asami to share things with him as well. 

Akihito wanted to tell him about the time he fell off of his bike when his friends dared him to go down a mountain path without using the breaks; he wanted to share the story of his holiday in the second year of high school when he worked as a lifeguard at the beach and he got sunstroke because he tried to pose as a though guy to the ladies; hell, he even could have been able to sprout his idiotic challenges when his group of friends always competed against each other and they stole drying laundries and cats and flowerpots from random houses, but one time he got chased around by a huge dog because he didn’t know that the old man two blocks from his house decided to get a Doberman to defend him against burglars. He wanted to tell all these idiotic stories and more.

As Thursday inched closer, he found himself wondering more and more about the syrupy, domestic scenes that he wanted to share with Asami, and on one hand he felt like some lovesick puppy, but on the other hand he genuinely wished to have such a relationship with him. And having the man’s birthday celebrated together, maybe they could step closer to this (nauseatingly) idyllic and somewhat normal picture.

He couldn’t wait till Thursday, he felt excited and giddy and nervous and so hopelessly in love. He wished to have a wonderful evening with Asami and have some bonding over home cooking, and watching a movie or whatever they’ll do, and maybe sharing a few drinks and kisses and most probably have mind-numbingly perfect sex, and just be together with the man. The man who he still didn’t know how old will be and Rina didn’t want to tell either, however hard he asked and begged to get the information out of her. 

In the end he decided just to ask the man himself flat-out when the right time came.

 

On Thursday afternoon, when his shift finally ended, Akihito changed into his casual clothes with the speed of light and walked out of the back door of the café before the others even noticed his shift ended. He scheduled the day tightly, to say the least, and he needed to catch the public transportation in every direction at a given time, his plans not letting him being late even for a minute.

He arrived home, just as planned, grabbed his already prepared fancy clothes for the night, and something to wear tomorrow when he planned to return home, and just as he was about to walk out of his room, his shoulder bag tossed over his head, the obnoxiously pink paper bag of the lingerie shop entered his peripheral vision. He stopped dead in his track and contemplated for five whole seconds whether to bring the thong with him or not. In the end he marched back to the bag and shoved the tiny piece of fabric into his bag, right next to his favourite old Polaroid camera that he got from his parents on his sixteenth birthday. And he planned to do naughty things with that camera, seven years after receiving it. His parents wouldn’t be the most proud of this part of his self. Oh well, what the hell.

He sprinted through the flat, making sure he had everything he needed (keys, wallet, phone, lube, and most importantly the borrowed key card from Rina to Asami’s penthouse) when his phone started to ring in his back pocket, the unidentified number being very suspicious.

“Yes?” he answered as he slipped his shoes back on and stepped out of their flat.

“Hello, this is Yamamoto Photography Studio in Shibuya,” answered a cheerful guy, “we are here with the delivery at the given address, but nobody’s at home.”

“Oh crap, I’ll be there in like 30-40 minutes, can you wait?” asked Akihito in panic, the first tremors of his schedule turning upside down approaching.

“Unfortunately we have other deliveries at hand, though we can leave the pictures by the reception if it is okay with you,” replied the guy thoughtfully.

“Yeah, sure, whatever, tell them that you brought it to Asami Ryuichi and it’s okay,” sighed the boy and he already ascended the stairs towards the street with rapid speed.

He ran across the street, trying to dodge the crowd as much as he could, and sprinted down the stairs to the subway where the train already stood in the stop and the doors slowly closed. Akihito somehow succeeded to slide into the closest car, the door closing just inches away from him, and as he glanced back onto the platform, he found a familiar face in the crowd, worriedly eyeing the slowly starting train. The guy looked the same as every time Akihito saw him, his t-shirt and Bermuda pants making him blend into the crowd, but his strict gaze and the muscly arms gave him away. It was the same guy that defended him in the club, the one he thought he already saw – and it seems that the guy followed him and he indeed have seen him already numerous times.

He needed to go four stops and change to another train to take seven more stops to Asami’s place. The mid-afternoon trains were packed fully and he worried because the second train was delayed by twenty minutes, having some problems with the tracks or whatever. He contemplated whether he should change to bus or any other means of transportation, but decided that the subway was the fastest and the closest of them all.

He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the subway and the masses didn’t seem to subside. When the train finally arrived he squashed himself into one of the cars with a thousand other people at least, and he most certainly knew that this environment was a paradise to perverts, because they could grind themselves to whomever they wanted to and could get away with it because of the crowd. _Hooray Tokyo!_

He somehow managed to arrive at Asami’s stop in record time and, to get away from the tumbling crowd, he shot out of the car and sprinted towards the all too familiar building at the end of the street waiting for him impatiently to start his final preparations for the main event of the day. The crowd, still unbearable, didn’t let him through that easily though, and Akihito needed to use every agility and smartness he has gathered during his past years to arrive to his destination within a considerably good time. 

He entered tiredly into the lobby, sighing and wheezing, and walked up to the reception, seeing the neatly wrapped pictures leaned against the far wall of the booth. He already felt exhausted beyond belief, and he still had almost three hours before Asami arrived back home, the tight schedule of the day urging him to hurry on with the next steps of his preparations.

“Excuse me,” he told the guy in neat uniform sitting in the booth.

The man only glanced at him, but didn’t say anything or shown any other sign that he acknowledged the boy’s presence.

“Hello,” tried Akihito again, putting his hand onto the counter, his fingers spread out in every direction.

“We’re not buying anything and don’t have any spare change, also don’t employ anybody for anything,” said the man in a monotone voice, shushing the boy away.

“Yeah, I’m certain of it,” rolled his eyes Akihito, “Actually I want to take the pictures up to Asami-san’s condo, because I’m freaking late and his birthday is coming up and I need to do a lot other stuff to prepare.”

The receptionist looked at him strictly, determining the validity of the boy’s story, then slowly reached for the phone. He dialled, still keeping his eyes on Aki, and put the receiver to his ear, waiting.

“Hello, yes, there’s this boy, who wants to enter the penthouse condo, claiming to know the owner,” spoke the guy hurriedly into the phone, he then turned to Akihito, “What’s your name, boy?”

Akihito only gulped down the sarcastic answer regarding his boy-status and a pleasant smile formed on his face.

“Takaba Akihito,” he answered naturally.

The guy repeated his name into the phone, then almost instantly put down the receiver and stood up from his chair.

“Let me help you carry the pictures, Takaba-san,” he asked suddenly so polite that the situation almost made Akihito laugh. Sure as hell, the guy realized his mistake treating him like trash, and now he tried to crawl his way back up.

“Sure, I’d be grateful!” answered the boy a bit too sugary, and he took two-two frames in each hand, heading towards the elevator.

They packed in the fourteen pictures then Akihito was already moving towards the penthouse, nervously fidgeting with the key card and thinking that first he needed to put all the pictures out of the cabin then could he enter the condo. As he planned all this, the elevator stopped at a lower floor, around the middle of the building and a fancily dressed woman walked into the elevator with a Chihuahua by her high-heeled shoes. She glanced at Akihito with a faint disgust on her not-so-natural face then turned towards the control panel to push the button of the ground floor. When she saw the number of the floor that Akihito had already pushed, she took a second turn to look at the boy, the card he held in his hand and also the pictures leaned against the wall.

“Sorry, we’re going up first,” said Akihito innocently, though inside he felt so triumphant that he almost fist-pumped into the air. Instead he only tried to hide his cheeky smile and eyed the number of floors slowly lighting up on the console.

When they arrived to the top floor, he packed out the pictures with a rapid speed, putting them against the wall of the elevator and after finishing he picked up two and walked towards the door. He could feel the intensely burning gaze of the woman from the elevator, the cabin not moving an inch and the doors standing wide open, giving her the opportunity to observe the boy entering Asami’s flat.

“Hey Honey, I’m home!” announced Akihito dramatically as he opened the door and stepped into the flat. He almost burst out laughing when he heard the woman’s shocked gasp echoing in the corridor.

When he returned for the other pictures, two minutes later, the woman wasn’t there anymore, but scent of her disgustingly sweet perfume still lingered in the air.

 

Carrying the pictures into the bedroom seemed to be the easier task, having them put on the wall proved to be a whole another matter to deal with. Akihito had a smattering of DIY and also hung all of his pictures on his walls basically since he could remember, but now his knees were weak and his mind numbed because he was about to either fancy up Asami’s bedroom wall or ruin it beyond repair. Okay, he couldn’t ruin it beyond repair, it was a bit of a melodramatic thought, but he could totally see himself making buttloads of holes on the perfectly wallpapered surface, and he didn’t want to ruin the fancily intricate patterns that decorated the master bedroom of the flat.

It took one hour to put the pictures up on the wall, all black and white and neatly edited, Akihito’s nights spent on it totally worth it. He sat down onto the bed, wondering about the magnificent work he just did, then he remembered that he still needed to maintain his tight schedule so he rushed out into the kitchen to see whether Rina bought the stuff he asked her to do. He even prepared her a detailed list with the names of the products needed and the prices and the sizes and everything, just to make sure she didn’t fuck it up. And, thank god, she seemed to successfully take the task and bought everything.

Akihito put on his apron, he brought from home, and started to wash, chop and prepare the ingredients, seasoning the meats and pre-heat the oven and so on. He knew the drill by heart already, since the last few hours he spent reminiscing on the recipe he decided on to cook for Asami. He could do it even if he just woke up.

“Eggs, eggs, where are the eggs?” he searched absentmindedly in the fridge but couldn’t find them. He took his phone of out his pocket and texted Rina quickly. Not even a minute passed and he already felt the familiar buzz in his back pocket.

“ _I forgot the eggs, sorry_ ” said the girl’s text, and Akihito felt the blood rush out of his head, almost fainting from the stressful news.

He started to pace in a circle around the mahogany dining table, and decided to run for it. There should be a shop somewhere around the building, rich people needed to eat as well, and they needed to buy their food somewhere.

As he slipped one of his shoes back on in the ganken, he heard the whirring of the lock and froze. If Asami came back home and ruined his surprise he’d be devastated! Sure, they’d still have a lovely evening, but he wanted to surprise Asami and he also anticipated the cake he ordered to arrive in the next thirty-forty minutes. Strictly sugar free cake, of course.

The door finally opened and Glasses guy, _Kirishima (remember his name, Akihito!)_ , stepped in the ganken with a box of eggs in his hands. He tensed up for a second, surprised by the boy’s presence right in front of him, but then he held out the box towards Aki.

“Rina-san asked me to deliver these,” he said so formally, so business-y.

“Uum… thank you,” took Akihito the box, and he kicked off his shoes again. He started back towards the kitchen, but stopped suddenly in his tracks, “Say, Kirishima, basically everyone knows that I’m here and cooking, aren’t they?”

“Yes, Takaba-san,” answered the man politely.

“Even Asami,” it wasn’t a question.

“Indeed, Takaba-san,” replied Kirishima mechanically.

“Oh fuck it, I don’t care anymore,” shrugged Akihito and he turned back to continue his way towards the kitchen, “anyways, thanks for the eggs!” he winked back at Kirishima then the kitchen door flung closed behind him.

 

Everything went just the way Akihito planned it. The food came out of the oven extraordinarily (and surprisingly) perfect, the delicious smell of the cooking filling up the whole kitchen and dining room. He kept the food in the oven, making sure it stayed warm, then went over to the fridge to examine the cake that arrived not long after Kirishima left, completing his delivery tasks requested by Rina. He put out the cake onto the counter, since he didn’t want it to freeze and the comfortable warmness of the kitchen seemed a good environment for it to maintain the quality. And, just to make sure, his friends also called him to check in on him and annoy him to death with their teasing and predictions how the night could go down the drain.

As Akihito thought about the last phone call he had with Rin, he started to set the table, him feeling surprisingly at home in Asami’s kitchen. Even though he only spent two or three meals in the place, he already knew where to find the nice plates, the (most probably) silver cutlery with the intricate patterns, and the champagne flutes and wine glasses. He also prepared a crystal tumbler for Asami, because the man certainly would love to drink some whiskey after the feast.

As Akihito lit the candles, he thought about the fact that the scenery was irritatingly cheesy, so he decided to put out the flames and clicked on the moodlighting of the dining room. He fidgeted and nervously adjusted the settings over and over again, impatiently waiting for Asami to return home. 

He felt so nervous and excited he almost fainted when he heard the faint whirring sound of the autolock coming from the ganken.

He hurried back into the kitchen to get the food out of the oven, and even though he felt the slight shift in gravity, he couldn’t do anything when his socked right leg slipped on the spotlessly polished marble tiles. He heard his faint gasp echoing in the kitchen as he lost his footing and in the next moment his flailing left arm swept the cake off of the counter, the whole creamy deliciousness landing on his fancy shirt and dress pants, as he spread out onto the cold tile of the kitchen floor only moments ago.

“Fuck!” he hissed in irritation as he sat up, his whole torso covered in cream and bits of sponge.

He couldn’t do anything but bury his face into his palms and take some deep breaths, counting to three to calm his hitching breathing and the painful throbbing in his ass where he landed on.

“Are you okay, Akihito?” he heard right in front of him, and as he opened his eyes Asami crouched right there, only a few feet away from him.

“I think I broke my tailbone,” answered the boy slowly, “and I’m covered in artificially sweetened whipped cream. I’m definitely not okay.”

Asami only shook his head, his charming smile slowly crawling onto his face, and he dipped his finger into the cream on Akihito’s shirt, swirling it around and whipping up a big amount. He slowly lifted the finger to his mouth and tasted the sweet, not-so sugary decoration.

“It tastes like…” he didn’t finish, but wiped the remaining of the cream into Akihito’s shirt on a clean spot.

“You…!” pointed a finger the boy towards Asami.

“Come on, Akihito, see it for yourself,” shrugged Asami, still crouching, his hand hovering over Akihito’s chest.

Aki only dipped his finger into the remains of the ruined cake that landed next to him after basking him in all of its glory, and slowly licked it from his finger.

“It tastes like crap! Oh my God!” he exclaimed, his tongue spinning in his mouth trying to get rid of the awful aftertaste of the artificial cream. “It’s disgusting, oh god, I feel like throwing up,” he wailed.

“And you wanted to give it to me, I’m not sure that you didn’t plan to poison me in my own home on my birthday,” replied Asami amused, standing right up. He held out his hand to help Akihito up.

“In my defence, I didn’t bake this… thing,” he sighed, as he grabbed onto the older man’s hand and let himself be pulled up into a standing position. “I need to change and clean this mess up.”

“I’ll call the cleaning service tomorrow,” answered Asami naturally.

He walked out of the kitchen, letting the door flung closed behind him. Akihito only inched closer to the tap and raked off the chunks of cake stuck to his shirt, making sure he didn’t drip all over the place while he ran for the shower and the change of clothes he brought.

“Akihito, I’m waiting,” came Asami’s impatient voice from the dining room and the boy scurried towards the door, mostly in a defeated state.

As he stepped into the dining room, he felt the fresh summer breeze touching his face and the comfortable temperature after the killing hotness of the day made his mind ease. He looked around and saw Asami standing out on the balcony, a lit cigarette dangling in his mouth, and two flutes of champagne resting next to him on the railing.

“We’re starting the drinking way too early,” commented Akihito cheekily as he walked up to the man, taking one of the flutes for himself.

“Just you, I already had a drink at work,” replied Asami nonchalantly, inhaling the toxic smoke from his cigarette.

“I’m seriously worried about your business, hearing that you drink during working hours,” cocked his right eyebrow the boy in amusement.

“Well, the king needs some means to calm himself during leading his kingdom,” commented Asami casually, and he tapped on his cigarette to let the ash fly away with the breeze, “and evidently I can’t have you every time by my side.”

Akihito felt his face warm up from the comment, though he tried to maintain his neutral façade – and failed miserably.

“Touché,” he grinned, and they clinked their flutes, “By the way, happy birthday!”

Asami only smirked then took a small sip from his champagne. Akihito did the same thing, though the sweet tingling from the bubbles and the silky softness of the drink made him down his whole flute within a few seconds. He put down the glass onto the railing of the balcony, and leaned against it with his back, his head hanging back, lit-up Tokyo lying upside-down in his eyes.

“I’m covered in a disgusting thing mockingly called a cake,” he exhaled slowly, and in the next moment his laughter slowly bubbled out of him, shaking his whole body, “I’m a ridiculous klutz of a person.”

He felt Asami’s intense gaze on himself, so he glanced at the man from the corner of his eyes.

“What?” he asked, his laughter still colouring his voice rich.

“That is just the way you charm people,” said the man on an intimately quiet tone.

“Did I charm you that way?” inquired Akihito cheekily.

“Indeed you did,” smiled Asami slowly, and he stepped closer to the boy, not caring whether he spoiled his fancy suit with the bits of cake or not. He snaked his arms around Akihito’s waist and pulled the boy closer to himself, leaning in to kiss the living daylight out of him.

Their tongues intermingled, their breaths mixed together and their exploration lasted so long, the kiss tasting like the expensive champagne they just drink prior. Akihito also could taste the faintness of tobacco in Asami’s mouth, and he seriously contemplated stealing a box of cigarette to always have the man’s smell with him.

When they separated, Akihito only wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then intertwined his arms behind Asami’s neck and pulled the man closer to himself. He bumped his forehead lightly with Asami’s and smiled up at the man, his love spilling out of his stupid, foolish mouth without any filtering. And still, he found the right words.

“Seriously, happy birthday, Ryu,” he breathed out affectionately.

“Thank you, Akihito.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, the first part of the birthday!!
> 
> And they haven't even done half the things I planned them to do (and we're not just talking about the smexy time!!)
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, hopefully coming up in a week :))
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!!
> 
> Till next time :33


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo Everybody!!
> 
> Here's the next chapter of Ryu's B-day and not the last one! Banzaii!!
> 
> Also thank you for your nice comments and kind words regarding my recovery, I am feeling much better already :))
> 
> Have fun reading!

“…so basically, I stood there petrified, only in a pair of underwear dripping wet with water, and a watermelon in my hands. I heard my friends stifled laughter coming from the hedges and the lady whose Jacuzzi we just invaded started to inarticulately scream for his husband and the police and basically for anyone in hearing vicinity to catch the pervert (yours truly) who broke into her garden,” unfolded one of his teenage years story Akihito over the half-eaten dinner, “I have no idea how I got out of that mess without my parents knowing it.”

Asami only listened to the story with interest, his charming smile never leaving his face, his amusement almost palpable. He dug into the food in front of him again, and seemed to enjoy each and every bit he tasted. And it totally filled Akihito with unimaginable satisfaction and joy.

“And what happened afterwards? How did you get away?” inquired Asami as he pointed at the boy with his fork, “did you charm her panties off?”

“That definitely sounds something _you_ would do,” countered Akihito giggling.

“Maybe you’re right,” cocked his eyebrow Asami, smirking to himself.

“To be honest, I have no recollection of the events afterwards. I had an adrenalin rush and evidently threw the watermelon at the lady and while she tried to grab it in her surprise, I turned on my heels and jumped over the fence just to run through the whole neighbourhood in only my boxer shorts,” shrugged the boy with a slight blush on his face. “Or at least this is what the others told me they saw.”

“So you like to show off your naked bits to society,” teased him Asami, “I would never have guessed that I found myself an exhibitionist pervert.”

“You know what you’ll find if you keep on saying things like that?” asked Akihito a bit pouting, “my foot in your ass, that is.”

As answer, Asami only chuckled lowly, not necessarily the effect Akihito planned to achieve. Though, when the older man shown some humour, it seemed that he had a pleasantly fine time. 

“By the way,” cocked Akihito his head slightly to the right, “How the hell did we end up here, me telling you my embarrassing, almost being a public-offender story?”

He glanced at the carved mahogany housed clock on one of the shelves in the intricately patterned armoire, and they started dinner about one and a half hours ago. And they still haven’t finished, the food, thanks to the constantly heated trays, kept warm and mostly fresh.

“I asked you about your birthday in May, and you told that you went out with your peculiar friends, and then changed to this story, it being, and I quote you, the most _hilariously_ embarrassing birthday that could ever happen to anyone,” replied Asami, the amusement still colouring his voice rich and warm, “And I need to say that I’d love to watch you run around mostly naked in daylight, though not for everyone to see it. Maybe we can go to a remote island and have some naked exercises and not necessarily just in bed.”

Akihito felt his face heating up, a full on blush blooming slowly and steadily on his face. How could Asami say such obscene things with such a straight face? He would die of embarrassment if he said something like that, and to boot it deliberately.

“Yeah, like you could afford the time, and like I can afford the money to do it,” replied Akihito sarcastically, still feeling the warmth in his face.

“I’d be more than willing to drop everything and sweep you off your feet if you’d say yes,” countered again Asami, him somehow finding all the right words that Akihito wanted to hear in his life from a partner in a relationship.

“Well, it’s still pretty soon I have to say,” shook the boy his head slowly, “I mean it’s basically our… second official date. I can count it as a date, right?”

Asami’s smirk slowly crept back onto his perfectly sculpted face and he put his fork down onto his plate. He reached for the bottle of red wine he chose from his collection and poured a drink to Akihito then to himself.

“You see, in my world it doesn’t go like this; the number of dates doesn’t really matter. The only important thing is whether we enjoy ourselves in each other’s company or not. And, I have to say, that being with you is the most refreshing part of my day and I’d love to have the night go on forever. So, for me, we could go to the end of the world together because I want to spend more time with you,” explained Asami jovially and he took a sip of his wine, eyeing Akihito over the brim of his glass.

The boy only looked out the French window to lit up Shinjuku and tried to collect himself, because he felt like dying each and every time Asami said something so cheesy but so unbelievably endearing. He buried his face into his hands, inhaling and exhaling slowly, letting his fluttering heart get back to its normal rhythm.

“I’d have a heart-attack if I’d say things like this so casually,” he commented finally looking back at Asami, “I admire your way of naturally dropping such cheesy lines.”

They turned back to their food, neither of them really eating anything anymore, but only digging and turning the leftovers on their plates. Akihito basically planned until this time and afterwards thought that Asami’d take the lead; but it seemed the man didn’t plan to do it.

“Okay, we don’t have a cake, unfortunately,” commented Akihito as he glanced down onto his plain t-shirt and the jeans he changed into. He stood up, and started to collect the plates, “Maybe you have something sweet that has actual sugar in it?”

“I’m certain that that idiot girl has something like that somewhere in here, probably melting and rotting because she forgot about it,” shrugged Asami.

Akihito only shook his head lightly and went over to Asami’s side of the table to get his plates as well. He felt nervous and fidgety all over again, and he tried to calm himself with some housework.

“Akihito, what are you doing?” asked Asami a bit irritated.

“I’m cleaning up,” replied Akihito a bit stalling, “That’s what people do after finishing their meals,” he explained somewhat lecturing.

“Put down the plates and come here,” ordered him Asami, “It is my birthday so my wishes are to be fulfilled. And I don’t remember asking you to be my maid, though I’m sure that your legs look fantastic in fishnets and heels, your bum just hanging out from the skirt and apron. Maybe I should have asked that for my birthday,” mused Asami, “Probably next year.”

“Seriously, you were just telling me that I’m a show-off pervert and look at you,” grinned Akihito as he put the plates down to the table, walking over to Asami, “would you like to have a shoulder massage, Asami- _sama_?” he asked cheekily.

“Be careful, Akihito, or you’ll regret turning me on more than necessary,” countered Asami.

“Oh, I wonder,” smirked the boy and he stepped behind the older man, his hands resting on the contracted shoulders, “You’re so tense, ease up a bit.”

He slowly started to circle his thumb, just feeling up the muscles in Asami’s shoulder, and the shoulder blades, those magnificent and perfect bones just gave the right structure to the man’s back. Akihito wanted to lick them all over, to taste the salty skin and the warmness of Asami’s skin. But it would have been still too early to drop the clothes and start the nightly activities.

“Imagine my surprise when Rina told me casually after our date that you have your birthday today,” said Akihito nonchalantly, while Asami lit a cigarette and fumed the rich scented smoke into the fresh summer breeze coming from the balcony’s opened door.

“So she indeed told you,” commented Asami lightly, “and you lied to me so naturally about it. Seriously, you never learn, Akihito.”

Akihito hummed to himself, then felt Asami’s hand enclosing around his right wrist. He looked surprised at the man, who half-turned to his direction, and cocked his head slightly to the right.

“Huh?” he gasped, as Asami pulled him down onto his lap, Akihito’s leg dangling in the air over the armrest of the chair.

He couldn’t even digest the happenings, Asami already kissed him hard and deep; his tongue invading the boy’s slightly opened mouth, forcing it more and more open to let him in. The cigarette’s taste still lingered in the man’s mouth and as they kissed, Akihito felt the nicotine rush taking over his senses, the not necessarily uncomfortable reaction of his body encouraging him to engage more in their act. He put his hands onto Asami’s shoulder and tried to position himself, only to feel the man’s erection, through his suit pants, poking his butt. He weaved his hands around Asami’s neck and leaned more into the kiss, letting the man spoil him, letting him blow his already nearly blown mind.

“We’re starting this early,” moaned Akihito as Asami started to nibble on the soft flesh just below his jawbone, the sensitive spot’s teasing sending shivers all over his body.

“As I see you’re not in a playful mood today,” countered Asami, his hands sneaking their way under Akihito’s t-shirt, his nails lightly raking the boy’s almost translucently white skin.

“I am definitely in a playful mood, but I don’t just want to have your birthday spent coupling like wild animals in heat,” shrugged Akihito and, to his surprise, Asami looked at him with a wondering expression and let go of the boy’s waist under his t-shirt.

“What would you like to do then, my dearest Akihito?” inquired Asami, his right hand cradling Akihito’s cheek.

The boy only felt a bit embarrassed because he really didn’t know what he wanted to do, he just didn’t plan to only have sex with Asami, like every time they meet, because it wouldn’t make the celebration that special. He looked around the room trying to find something in his nervousness and his eyes stopped on the sound system placed onto one of the chests of drawers.

“I heard that you could compete with Kevin Bacon in Footloose,” grinned the boy, and he clasped his hand over Asami’s on his face, “I want to see you shake your booty.”

Asami, after the boy’s sentence settled in, burst out laughing, his rumbling laughter filling up the room, and the resonance of it slightly nudging Aki’s hand that rested on the man’s chest.

“Sometimes I forget how vulgar your speech can be,” shook his head the man, a wide smile spread out on his face and he leaned closer to Akihito to peck a small kiss on the boy’s lips.

“Well, I’m a country boy, and a fine one at that, plus I’m spending way too much time with your cousin, she’s like a sailor-princess and one from the worst kind,” shrugged Akihito and he slowly got up from Asami’s lap, his leg feeling a bit numb after having it dangle in such a weird angle.

He walked up to the sound system and opened the closet above it, seeing the many and many CD’s placed there in order of genre and names. Mostly classical music, some tunes from The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and mainly the old favourites. Akihito could also find some Arctic Monkeys, Placebo and Franz Ferdinand, and some of the quite popular musicians nowadays. He picked up the new Katy Perry album surprised and turned to Asami with it, the question “ _What the Hell??_ ” evidently written on his face.

“That’s Rina’s,” pointed Asami to the cover, “just like the other girly, bubbly whatevers.”

“Sure it is,” grinned Akihito openly not believing one word the man said.

He looked back onto the discs and leafed through them, not quite finding the one he wanted to pop into the player. Sure as hell, he didn’t mean it definitely that Asami should dance to some club/trance/pop music, but since the man didn’t really opposed to the request he still remained curious. And you know the drill: curiosity killed the cat, but knowledge brought it back.

“I need something with Internet,” he declared as he walked over to the living room and plopped down onto the sofa, “and I hope you have built in strobe lights and disco ball because this party is on!”

“Honestly, after Rina moved in she even wanted a permanent, arcade-based Dance Dance Revolution and as you can see she has it, so of course this flat is full of strobe lights and disco balls,” countered Asami sarcastically as he dropped a tablet next to Akihito and walked up to the balcony door, “I’ll be out here if you need me to, how you said it, shake my booty.”

Akihito waited a few seconds then walked up to the sound system, putting in some light tunes that could provide nice background music for some dance that wasn’t party music. Then he went after Asami to the balcony, and as he stepped outside he could hear the sound of Thursday night traffic and the wandering crowds echoing from below. The light summer wind breezed through his hair, his definitely too long bangs falling in front of his eyes.

“Actually, I heard the legends about your waltzing skills, and hoped maybe you could show them to me,” he explained on a low tone, stepping up behind Asami who only leaned against the handrail, his elbows resting on it, and a cigarette hung fuming in his mouth.

“You are so easily influenced by that foolish girl,” replied Asami leisurely, “If she told you that I am a magnificent scuba diver, we’d probably already be in the Caribbean, looking at exotic fish. I seriously need to plant the right ideas in her pretty little head.”

“I am not _that_ easily influenced by anybody,” countered Akihito a bit hurt, “And I don’t want to talk about her right now.”

“I never want to talk about her, you are the one who always brings her up either way or another,” commented the man and he flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the open.

Akihito only turned around and decided to go back into the living room to sulk because he got his pride wounded and he hated it that he indeed got influenced by Rina’s drunken rambling about Asami. And also, he didn’t ever in his life planned to say it out loud, but he definitely envied Rina for growing up with Asami and knowing the man for so long and so thoroughly. He would have given a lot of things to have five or ten per cent of the knowledge the girl possessed of Asami’s past. And now he got frowned upon because he actually wanted to see something from the tales he have heard.

He almost stepped back into the living room when Asami caught his right hand and spun him back. He hit the man’s chest softly, his free left hand knocking against Asami. 

“This hand comes here,” said the man as he put Aki’s free left hand onto his right shoulder, “and this one goes like this,” he continued as he angled their elbows in a perfect degree. His hand slipped onto the boy’s waist.

“I don’t feel like dancing anymore,” pouted Akihito, though he remained still on his place.

“Too bad because you already guilt tripped me into it,” countered Asami and he slowly started to lead themselves, using the entirety of the balcony to practice their steps.

“I didn’t guilt trip you into anything,” declared Akihito, his steps finally starting to straight up with Asami’s.

“Of course you didn’t, Akihito,” rolled his eyes Asami and his cunning smile was back on its place.

“You always say my name, why?” inquired the boy, his hips swinging with the rhythm of the music from the living room.

“Because I like the sound of it, just as much as I love it when you gasp mine out of breath in the bed,” teased him Asami and surprised him with a sudden tilt back.

“Crap, don’t scare me like that!” exclaimed the boy as he grabbed the man’s shoulders and squeezed them, “and my previous statement stays valid: you’re a pervert.”

“Most probably I am and you haven’t even seen my hobby,” answered Asami point on and Akihito only could do so much.

He leaned against the man, his forehead resting against Asami’s shoulder. They swayed to the rhythm of the music, and Akihito felt like crawling out of his skin because the scene was just so perfect (and so unbelievable cheesy). He wished for something domestic and romantic and here he got it, he slow danced with the (never ever admitted) love of his life, over lit-up Tokyo. These are happenings that are written in love stories and chick flicks and here he stood hand in hand with Asami Ryuichi, the man that turned his life upside down with only a slight appearance in the coffee shop four months ago.

“You know, the others call you my prince charming, and sometimes I need to agree with them,” muttered the boy a bit embarrassed, “You are just too good to be true.”

Asami only weaved his arms around Aki’s waist and pulled him close to himself, Akihito almost having the feeling that the man struggled with something within himself. They stood for a long time embracing tightly, and they only separated when Akihito started to giggle because of the ridiculously long, overly romantic gesture.

“Okay, let’s agree never to do this for this long, ever again, because I feel quite uncomfortable,” shook his head the boy and he started to walk back into the living room, “and let’s drink something more. Plus now it’s your turn to wish for something since it is your birthday! I’m only here for your entertainment,” he plopped down onto the sofa and watched the man walk into the room, aiming for the bar on the far end.

Akihito picked up the tablet that he left forgotten on the seating and opened it to check out the tech. He didn’t consider himself such a tech-savvy or a tech-freak but he liked to check out the interesting stuff and here he had the brand new iPad in his hands. He opened it and swiped through the pages, checking out the apps and programs and he also sneaked into the photo gallery to see what it contained. But they were only boring stuff, mostly pictures of Rina with funny faces and some designer dresses and shoes from her previous workplace. So this tablet belonged to Rina.

“She wouldn’t be happy if she’d know you gave me her tablet without permission,” put Akihito the device onto the table.

“Nobody cares about her, and I wasn’t the one who told not to talk about her,” said Asami as he walked over to Akihito, giving him a flute of champagne. He stuck to his usual whiskey on rocks, and he slid down onto the sofa gracefully, right next to Akihito. The boy instantly had a flashback about their time in Sion, and he unconsciously licked his lower lip, preparing for the inevitable.

“Hey, let’s make a picture!” exclaimed Akihito suddenly, and he grabbed the tablet again, “I want to have a photo with you,” he already picked the photo app and held up the device in the air, the inner camera turned on.

“Sometimes I feel so old compared to you, you have so much energy for these kind of things,” sighed Asami, and he cradled the boy’s shoulder, pulling him closer to himself, “and no funny faces, I have a reputation to keep up and if some weird picture surfaces I’m dead meat forever.”

“Okay,” grinned the boy and he still stuck his tongue out towards the camera. He snapped the picture then checked it out.

“Akihito,” said Asami tiredly, a bit reprimanding.

“What? You said no funny faces for you, you didn’t say I shouldn’t do one either,” he explained in defence of himself, half-laughing.

“You are not going to coax me into making some ridiculous expression for your own amusement,” countered Asami, and he took the tablet, to delete the previous photo.

“Hey, you prick, don’t just delete my artistic pictures,” he reached for the tablet to save the photo, but Asami only held it out too high for him to reach. He started to crawl over the man’s thighs and when he sat in a half-straddling position did he only realized his current act.

“I feel like this is the time where we finally start to shed our clothes,” purred Asami lowly as he put the tablet down next to himself, and grabbed Akihito’s waist, pushing the boy down onto his lap.

“Yeah, I think so too,” breathed the boy slowly and he weaved his arms around the man’s neck, pulling himself closer to him.

They were only a few inches away when Akihito spoke again, barely audible.

“I still want that picture together though.”

“Everything has its own time, my sweet Akihito, and right now is the time to couple like wild animals in heat, as you so perfectly worded it not so long ago,” licked Asami the boy’s lips and he hungrily dove in for a kiss.

Their tongues danced around, tasting and exploring each other’s mouths, while their hands touched each and every available surface on the other, feeling the heat through the clothes and on the skin and in-between gasps and breaths and huffs. Akihito grinded himself against the man, feeling his erection straining against his jeans, and welcomed again the poking of Asami’s cock against his ass.

“You know, I still have a gift or two for your entertainment,” he moaned between the heated kisses, and he shivered all over again as Asami started to suck on the base of his neck, just above his collarbone.

“Then show them to me,” replied Asami.

“They’re in the bedroom,” said Akihito, and he almost shrieked when Asami stood up suddenly, grabbing the boy’s butt to keep him in place.

“I like these gifts more and more,” purred the man and he started towards the bedroom with long and quick steps.

They made it there in record time and as Asami walked in with him in his arms, he stopped dead in his track, facing the pictures on the far wall of the bedroom. Akihito hoped for a similar reaction, though he couldn’t just see the man’s face yet. He pushed his upper body away to look at Asami, and he wasn’t unsatisfied with the reaction his pictures caused. Asami only ran his eyes trough the images again and again, the recognition slowly dawning on him. His face didn’t say anything, but his eyes told the whole story. He definitely liked the pictures, running through them over and over again, connecting them to each other and placing them in his inner map of Tokyo.

“You sneaky little kitten,” said the man finally, his voice rich with amusement, “You followed me around like some lowly paparazzo.”

“Indeed I did,” smiled the boy slowly, and he hugged Asami’s neck again, “Do you like them?”

“Of course I do, they are my very own Takaba Akihito exhibition, right in my bedroom; I’d be an idiot not to love all of them,” answered the man and he slowly leaned closer to Akihito to kiss him again.

They ended up on the bed, Akihito enclosed under Asami, his t-shirt pulled up till his collarbone, his jeans undone and slightly slipped down. Asami also got rid of his expensive suit jacket and the vest, and his necktie currently was wrapped around Akihito’s wrist over the boy’s head.

“I’m starting to grasp what you meant by perverted hobby,” grinned the boy as he hooked his bound arms around Asami’s neck, “I knew you were a closet bondage-freak the moment I met you.”

“I’m not a closet bondage-freak, I embrace my obsession with pain and pleasure wholeheartedly,” answered Asami as he trailed wet lines on Akihito’s bare torso with his tongue.

“You pervert,” teased him Akihito, though he couldn’t say he didn’t get more excited because of his restrictions. Most probably he was a perverted bondage-freak as well, even though he never tried it ever yet.

Asami didn’t answer, only started to slip Akihito’s pants further down but in the next moment he froze. And Akihito only so late realized why. He glanced at Asami in fear and embarrassment as the man pulled the laced thong out of the pocket of his jeans. The fabric only slightly hung out from its hiding place, and yet Asami still found it, the perverted hunting dog that he was.

“I am so intensely curious why you had this piece of underwear on you, Akihito,” said Asami as he kneeled over the boy’s half-naked body and dangled the thong from his pointing finger, “Is this the one your friend saw you in?”

_Oh crap, the phone call!_

Akihito only hid his face behind his bounded hands, and tried to think of a cover story. Or to be honest any story where he comes out with his friends still alive and Asami not being a mass murderer for annihilating everyone among them.

“It… might be,” he answered slowly, pulling his hand away from his eyes and staring up at the man, “But I swear to god he was the only one and it only happened for like five seconds tops because I covered myself!”

“Interesting,” commented Asami without any emotion in his voice, “I hope you know that I’m planning to make you wear them now that you so foolishly left them at an easily discoverable spot.”

“I wouldn’t call my pocket so easily discoverable,” sassed Akihito.

“And you are going to put them on yourself,” pointed out Asami the obvious.

“I can’t change into them with my hands bound,” tried Akihito getting out of the embarrassing situation.

“You’re a smart little kitten, you’re going to solve it somehow,” smirked Asami as he lifted himself up from the boy and sat down onto the edge of the bed.

“At least help me up,” whined Akihito as he wriggled himself onto his side then stomach to push himself up into a kneeling position.

“Why would I ease your punishment?” cocked Asami his eyebrow.

“You’re a punishment and bondage-freak, dear God, what have I gotten myself into,” mumbled the boy, though with a volume to have Asami hear it as well.

He slowly made his way towards the edge of the bed on his knees then sat down next to Asami. He snatched the lacy piece of fabric from the man’s hand then stood up and strutted towards the bathroom because there was no way in hell he’d change into the sexy underwear right in front of Asami. He also decided to prepare himself in the bathroom, while he was in there, so he stepped up to his shoulder bag and started to dig in it with his bound hands, searching for the lube. He could touch it in there but couldn’t grasp it, and when finally he had it right, his hand found something so interesting in there: namely the thong he put in there himself during the afternoon.

“Now wait a second!” he shot up into a standing position, and examined the two identical pieces of underwear in his hands, “What the fuck?!”

“Is there a problem, Akihito?” asked Asami from behind him, still sitting on the bed.

“Why the fuck is there two of them?!” he spun around angrily and held out the thongs for Asami to see as well.

“I didn’t think you’d like sexy lingerie that much,” commented Asami with an impressed expression on his face.

“These are not mine you dumb… man!” exclaimed Akihito with irritation.

He reached into his pocket, where the other underwear came out from, and he indeed found what he was searching for. He pulled out the piece of paper and opened it to see the girly, curvy figures from Rina’s handwriting.

“ _I just wanted to make sure you gave my regards to cous’. Also, all of your pants have one pair of this lovely underwear in their pockets just to make sure you won’t forget them. Love and have fun, Rina_ ” said the note cheerfully.

“I’m going to murder your cousin the next time I meet her,” hissed Akihito through gritted teeth and he crumpled the note into a neat little ball that he threw somewhere in the room angrily.

“I’m still waiting for you Akihito,” commented Asami impatiently, “It seems that you always make me wait and I wonder why is that.”

_Because you’re an impatient brat in secret._

He squatted back next to his bag, and started to dig in it again for the lube, and for his Polaroid camera because he ran out of fucks to give. When he found them, he only placed the lube next to the thongs, and he had the camera in both hands, walking towards Asami.

“So you see, my second or whatever numbered gift is this,” he held out the camera for the man, waiting for him to take it, “Get to know her well while I’m changing, okay? And please take care of her because I’ve had her for seven years already.”

“I feel like you plan to do something really, _really_ naughty, Akihito, and I’m only here to assist you,” smirked Asami as he took the camera and turned it around slowly to observe every nook and canny of it.

“Well I thought you’d like some pictures of me as well, sorry if I had the wrong idea,” cocked his eyebrow the boy.

“Oh you just had the right idea,” grinned Asami, and he suddenly gripped Akihito’s t-shirt and pulled him into a kiss, going all out.

Akihito could hardly grasp what was happening, Asami getting into fifth or whatever gear, licking, sucking, nibbling and tasting his mouth and lips and tongue, and he felt himself getting so painfully erect again, his cheeks flushing and his breath wheezing, his head spinning from oxygen deprivation. He leaned into the kiss more and more, his bound hands awkwardly dangling between them, and as he touched (strictly unintentionally) Asami’s erect cock through his pants, he could almost feel the utmost pleasure that was waiting for him not so far away.

Then the kiss ended and he looked at Asami dazed and dizzy, confused and thirsty for more.

He almost went blind when the flash of his Polaroid camera went off and the machine captured his dazed, slutty face, waiting for the inevitable fuck of the night.

For some seconds nothing happened then the picture slipped out of the camera, the image itself only greyish, waiting for drying and developing. Asami took the lower side of frame and started to lightly shake it, making it dry and develop, waiting impatiently for the upcoming image. When Akihito saw the image itself, his so perfectly whorish face with the glistening saliva all over his face and jaw, his lips puffy and red and his eyes half lidded, he knew that bringing the camera in the game was one of the worst decisions in his life. But it was, unfortunately, too late.

“We are going to have so much fun,” commented Asami as he shushed the boy towards the bathroom to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yepp this was the second chapter, though still no sexytime. But don't worry we have a whole another chapter for it (hopefully) up next week!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise Friday/Saturday update! Hooraaaaaaay!!
> 
> Asami's Bday chapy 3!
> 
> Here's the fanmix: http://8tracks.com/nikkvarga/asami-s-bday-strip-mix-1
> 
> Have fun reading!

After Akihito somehow succeeded to break free from his easy bondage, tugging on the knot with his teeth until it let go, he dropped his pants and t-shirt and stood in front of the mirror, checking out his body, contemplating whether to show himself to Asami or not. Sure, he already got nude in front of the man numerous times, but those times mostly were more because of him rapidly getting fucked, and less for the pleasure of viewing. But now he needed to go out there in that little piece of lacy fabric and most probably embarrass himself more than he planned for the day.

He hopped into the thongs and walked around the impressive floor of the bathroom, the slight cold touch of the tiles giving him shivers. He checked himself in the mirror again, and decided to at least wash his face and do something with his dishevelled hair because he looked like some kind of a stray dog caught in the thunderstorm.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he sighed as he glanced at the tube of lube resting by the tap, waiting to be used.

He thought about the upcoming exhausting but nonetheless pleasuring events and slowly descended to his knees, pouring a good amount of lube onto his fingers, coating them, and he watched as little drops formed, sliding down on his shining skin and they dropped onto the tiles. He made sure to relax and when the first finger entered him, shivers run all over his spine. He already felt so horny after their make-out session and the teasing on the bed, but now, as he intentionally fingered and scissored himself open in the middle of Asami’s bathroom, he could feel the inevitable adrenalin rush taking over his senses and tipping him towards losing his already half-lost mind.

When he finished preparing himself, he felt that he fought with a raging erection that strained against the fine lace of the thong, the fabric slowly lifting from his nether regions. He looked into the mirror again, examined his flushed expression, the already forming purplish kiss marks all over his neck and collarbone, and the whiteness of his skin and decided that he couldn’t do it.

He walked up to the door and opened it a little.

“Give me a shirt!” he hissed through the gap between the door and the frame.

“Pardon me, Akihito?” he heard Asami’s voice from the right of the door, where the pictures were hung on the wall.

“I said give me a shirt because I cannot walk out of here just in… this,” he rambled and unintentionally glanced down onto his nipples standing at full attention, “Please.”

“You know that you ruin the fun, don’t you?” asked Asami, not just a bit amused, and Akihito could hear the shuffling sounds of fabrics and soon the white linen shirt Asami just wore appeared by the gap.

“Sure I know, but I’m shy!” murmured the boy as he caught the fabric and started to pull it towards himself, but Asami didn’t let go of it either.

“I much more would call it prude,” wondered Asami, and Akihito could hear him edging closer to the door, “What will you give me in exchange for the shirt?”

“I clean up the kitchen and do the dishes, now give me the freaking shirt!” he rattled out and started to tug the fabric.

“No,” replied Asami simply, dissatisfaction colouring his tone.

“Then what do you want?” shrieked Akihito, both hands clutching the shirt and tugging it harder without any success.

For a few seconds everything was silent then the slow starting of a familiar song filled the bedroom. Akihito knew this song, though Asami’s bedroom definitely was not the place where he thought he would ever hear it. The music went on, faster and faster and when Jason Derulo started the lyrics, Akihito needed to accept the fact that the sound system was indeed playing _Talk Dirty_ loudly.

“NO!” he screamed as it dawned on him and tried to close the door, but Asami caught the wood and kept it open, “I won’t do it!”

“Yes, Akihito, you will,” answered the man calmly, stepping up to the door, his foot edging just between the threshold and the wood.

“You have my camera! You will make pictures of me embarrassing myself, of course I won’t do it!” exclaimed Akihito, “I am definitely not going to be stripping for you!”

“Who said anything about stripping?” asked Asami cheekily and Akihito felt like punching him right in the face, in the perfectly angled nose.

“You’re a sadistic asshole, give me the freaking shirt!” started to yank the garment Akihito again with more force and in the next moment the linen ripped in half with a deafening sound, “Oh crap!”

“Akihito, you need to do it if I am now going to get another shirt just for you. Or you’re coming out from there and show me what you got,” commented Asami lightly, his mood up in the skies.

Aki only stood defeated behind the door and didn’t know what to do. At least Asami didn’t want to invade the bathroom so he could stay there to think about it for a while. Maybe he could get out of it somehow. Maybe he could negotiate and end up not embarrassing himself. Or maybe he’ll be a laughing stock for the rest of his life.

“A shirt, mood lightning and a huge glass of any type of alcohol,” he said finally, “and no pictures of me shaking my ass.”

Asami remained silent for a few seconds and only hummed, then put up his negotiating voice as well and stated his own demands.

“A thirty minute long dance, in _the_ lingerie, two pictures and two glasses of any type of alcohol, and the lights of course,” he replied.

“And the shirt? I’m doing this for the shirt!” demanded the boy.

“I’ll give you whatever garment you want if you shed it during your performance,” came Asami’s answer immediately.

“Bring me a Rum and Coke, I need to think about it,” replied the boy, still contemplating the demands and the service he was willing to provide.

Some minutes passed and he could hear the dimmed thuds of Asami’s steps as he approached the bedroom again, presumably with Akihito’s drinks. Akihito also heard as the ice cubes clinked against glass and he could almost taste the alcohol that was awaiting him.

“I hope you made the right decision, Akihito,” said Asami from somewhere in the bedroom.

“Yes, I did, now give me a shirt and let’s get it over with,” he sighed and he held out his hand for the wished garment.

Soon he could feel the softness of silk on his hand, and as he pulled the garment into his fort, he could see the dark aubergine hue of it. He slipped the fabric on, buttoning it halfway up. He looked into the mirror and almost burst out laughing because the shirt went down till half of his thighs, and the sleeves were long past the end of his fingers. He tugged them up until his elbow and felt somehow better though he still looked ridiculous. He marched up to the door and inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply.

“Kill the lights and prepare my drinks,” he ordered as he opened the door a little more.

“Everything’s ready and waiting for you, Akihito,” answered Asami on a low tone, from a bit far away.

Akihito opened the door suddenly, and stopped on the threshold his heels still on the tiles of the bathroom. The room had a low light, the dark yellow and orange tones mixing with the flashing lights from outside the city and the neighbouring buildings. Asami sat on the bed, looking out the window, his torso bare as he already got rid of his previous shirt, and he had a tumbler of amber liquid in his hand. Two glasses rested on the floor by his feet, the aroma of freshly squeezed lime finally reaching Akihito’s nose.

“Hey,” he said shyly, and Asami slowly turned towards his direction, his wandering eyes immediately changing into a predator’s hunting ones.

“Glad to see you out of your refugee,” commented the man and he took one of the glasses from the carpet and held out for the boy to drink it.

Akihito marched up to him and took it, downing the contents in a few quick gulps. He sighed after finishing the strong Cuba Libre, the burning of the rum welcomed in his throat and his stomach. He squatted and got the other glass, gulping the cocktail in a record time again.

“I don’t want to be sober when I’m starting,” he said in answer to Asami’s interested, questioning expression, “By the way the music…”

Asami only held up the remote of the sound system and pressed play again, the familiar opening tunes of _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ echoing in the room. Akihito reached for the remote, but lost his balance thanks to the alcohol taking over his system, and fell straight into Asami, his arms encircling the man’s bare chest.

“Crap, I’m starting to feel it,” he giggled and he started to suck and kiss Asami’s neck right in front of his face.

“Akihito, don’t think that you will be able to distract me with such lowly tricks,” commented the man as he dropped the remote control and started to knead Akihito’s naked buttocks through the fine silk of the shirt, “You owe me a dance and you know it very well.”

Akihito pushed himself into a half-kneeling position between Asami’s widely opened legs, and he let himself run his fingers over the perfect, naked torso with the beautifully glowing skin and the hard pecs and abs. He wanted to lick everything, wanted to drown in this perfect body and never get back into the real world.

“How did you get this music?” he asked while he let go of Asami’s body, the pain of parting skins echoing in his fingertips.

Asami only held up a pink post-it note with the words “ _Play Me_ ” on it. The figures were suspiciously similar to the ones on the note that Akihito found in his jeans pocket.

“My cousin sends her regards,” said Asami finally, “If you have her as a friend you don’t really need any enemies anymore, she’ll do the job just fine.”

“At this point I’m not even surprised anymore,” sighed Akihito and he stood up from between Asami’s legs and started to stretch his arms, grabbing his elbows and pulling them behind his head, “Don’t make fun of me, I don’t want to strain anything while shaking my ass for your entertainment.”

“Of course you don’t, or the post-work out exercise would be a pain in the arse,” smirked Asami.

“It was a lame ass pun,” commented Akihito.

“Look who’s talking,” countered Asami, his cunning smile slowly crawling back onto his handsome face.

“Okay, now see me transform into… who was the stripper Demi Moore played in the movie where he poured the water onto herself on the stage?” wondered the boy.

“I am quite certain that you mixed up two legendary cinematic pieces because Demi Moore played a stripper in the 1996 movie Striptease and the water scene was in the 1983 movie Flashdance,” said Asami lightly.

“Shut the hell up, I wasn’t even born in 1983, and never seen Striptease. Cut me some slack!” exclaimed Akihito a bit pouting.

“Evidently you haven’t seen Flashdance either,” cocked his eyebrow Asami teasingly.

“Shut it you smart ass, do you want a lap dance or not?!” hissed Akihito and he squatted a few times to get his knees warmed up as well.

“I apologize,” held up Asami his hands in a placating motion, “I hope that my being a smart ass didn’t ruin your preparations for your show, Ms. Owens.”

“Who?” Aki asked confused.

“The girl from Flashdance,” grinned the man in answer.

“Fuck off,” hissed Akihito and he stepped up to the bed to take the remote for the sound system.

He leafed quickly through the songs and decided to put them on shuffle because he didn’t really have any real routine to go by. He put on _Talk Dirty_ again and paused it, doing a few experimental hip swinging and shoulder twirling. He stayed strictly with his back to Asami because he still felt like running out of the world even though he was covered except his legs. Though not for so long, as he already knew Asami and his nature.

“I need to inform you that I am definitely not good at this, I have never done stripping and lap dancing before,” explained the boy not turning in the direction of Asami.

“I would be very displeased if you have already done it,” commented Asami a bit strict, “You can start anytime, Akihito,” his voice eased back into the previous rich one filled with desire and anticipation.

“This mix is thirty minutes long?” asked Akihito glancing over his shoulder, still putting off the inevitable.

“Yes, around it I think so,” nodded Asami in answer.

“And when it’s done it’s done, I don’t have to do it again, right?” he inquired, still not starting.

“Yes, Akihito, after thirty minutes you will be off this hook and hopefully be on an entirely another one,” cocked his head Asami slightly to the right, a smug expression on his face.

“Per-vert,” mouthed Akihito half grinning.

He lifted the remote and pushed play, then dropped it onto the carpet with a dull thud. He closed his eyes and gave himself up to the music, his hips swaying to the rhythm of the music, the soft fabric of the shirt flailing in the air. He twirled his head, turning slowly towards Asami, and he really didn’t plan to open his eyes, but they automatically popped open when he faced the man again. Asami watched him eagerly and impatiently; his legs still opened wide, inviting Akihito to the best seat of the building.

As Akihito walked up to the man, like a runway model, he tried to act the way he’d expect someone to act when they gave him a lap dance, but honestly he didn’t really know what to do. He stopped right in front of Asami, bent down and leaned closer to the man, twirling his body and swaying himself from side to side, slowly unbuttoning the shirt. When it opened, he took Asami’s hands and put them onto his waist, the touch from the unbelievably hot hands almost burning and scorching his skin. He leant closer and kissed the man passionately, but when things would have gone further he broke their act and stepped back a little, Asami’s hands falling from him. He turned around and bent down, perfect ninety degrees, the bottom of his buttocks just hanging out from under the shirt. He swayed his ass from side to side, slowly lifting his torso right up, the shirt slipping down on the milky white skin on his back. He lifted his arms, just catching the fabric before revealing his mostly naked ass slipped into the thong that somehow didn’t bother him anymore, and he slowly walked away a few steps, descending to his knees.

“I think I got the hang of it,” giggled the boy a bit drunk, putting his hands also onto the carpet, slowly crawling towards Asami like a jaguar approaching its prey.

“I think so too, Akihito,” answered Asami, his voice so low and purring that Akihito felt sure that he needed to restrain himself not to fuck the boy mercilessly on the spot.

“We need a chair,” said Akihito suddenly and he was already dragging the chair from the other side of the room to in front of the bed, “Asami- _sama_ , please,” he motioned towards the chair.

Asami, without any complaints, changed his seating and waited for the next steps. Akihito only walked up behind him, and slowly teased the back of the man’s neck with his fingertips and nails, then dove in and slipped his palms down on the man’s chest from behind. 

“Take all of me, I just wanna be the boy you like, the kinda boy you like,” he whispered the altered lyrics of the current Beyoncé song into the man’s ears and he also felt himself getting hot and flushed. He also could feel the change of the touch on the man’s chest, as the muscles were all contracted all over again.

He finished his exploring and walked in front of the man, kicking lightly his legs next to each other and sitting down right onto his thighs, closer to the knees than the groin. He let the shirt slip down to pool around his waist, the sleeves still stuck on his arms. He swung his upper body with the music, eyes closed again and nothingness taking over his mind as he tried to do his best. He felt as Asami’s hands grabbed his waist again, and the man pulled him closer to himself, attacking the base of his neck and the collarbones again, grinding his clothed erection against Akihito’s peeking one in the thongs.

Akihito burst out laughing as _Birthday Sex_ started to play from the sound system, and even though he broke character nobody really cared anymore. Asami got rid of the shirt and felt up Akihito’s bare butt hanging out from the underwear, his fingers invading under the string, right into the boy’s heaven.

Akihito hissed as the two fingers simultaneously entered him, though it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling since he already prepared himself. Asami only fingered his ass, adding more fingers eventually and as Akihito had four fingers stretching and keeping him open, he felt like going crazy. He wanted Asami’s cock more than anything in himself, churning up his insides and making a mess out of him, filing him up until the brim, until he got pregnant. Obviously it wasn’t a possibility but the thought behind it counted as the most perfect idea ever.

“Turn around, Akihito, and make me want to fuck you even more,” purred Asami into his ears, and his fingers slipped out of the boy, leaving Akihito speechless and greedy for more.

“As you wish, Asami- _sama_ ,” cocked his eyebrow the boy hopefully seducing, and he slowly lifted up from Asami’s lap, gasping as the man got his right nipple in his mouth and started to suck, lick and nibble on it, “I can’t… turn around… like this,” gasped and stuttered the boy as Asami didn’t let go of his sensitive bud.

“Just bear with it a little more,” said Asami in a reprimanding voice and he dove onto Akihito’s other nipple, his fingers pinching and teasing the already sucked one.

“Oh God!” hissed the boy, as Asami’s other hand found its way into the panties and started to stroke his painfully erect cock leisurely with the music.

When Asami teased and tortured him for enough time, he spun Akihito around and tugged the boy back into his lap, butt against cock, ready to enter. Aki didn’t dare to do anything, he only waited for Asami to put himself in or to finger him forward on or anything else, but he only waited because he already lost any coherent idea he had, partly because of the amount of alcohol he consumed in only just a few minutes, and partly because of the desire to get fucked until he lost consciousness. And in the next moment Asami pushed down his upper body into a bending position, and pulled the string of the thong out of his crack. He knew what would happen next.

“Akihito, look at me,” ordered him Asami, and the boy did what he was told, glancing back over his shoulder. He indeed looked straight into the lens of his camera, the flash blinding him almost instantly.

“My eyes,” he squeaked as he tried to get back his ability to see without a huge white spot right in the middle of his vision, “Jesus, I think I went blind!”

“You don’t need to see anymore in your life, I’m going to spoil you and do everything for you,” purred Asami into his ear and Akihito got goose bumps all over his body.

“Embarrassingly cheesy line alert!” he joked, though his laughter got caught in his throat as Asami started to grind his huge erect cock in between his ass cheeks, teasing his loose hole.

The man entered him in a swift motion, pulling Akihito into his lap and burying his cock in the boy till its hilt. Akihito felt the electric shock shot up his spine as the pleasure started to fill him up. Asami slowly pulled out then rammed his cock back inside of him again, making him gasp and his breath hitch.

“You’re a cruel man,” moaned Akihito as Asami repeated his teasing act again and again, driving the boy crazy and desperate.

“You can always fuck yourself with my assistance,” commented Asami nonchalantly, making Akihito ball his fists in order not to tear himself away from the man because he once again acted like a bully and a jerk.

“Though you are the one inside me,” he only replied sassily and lifted himself up from Asami to sit rapidly back down. He felt the man’s cock brushing his sweet spot and shivered all over again.

Asami suddenly ripped his cock out of Akihito and made him stand up, pushing his upper body down, making the boy bend. He stood up behind Akihito and entered him again, ramming into him in a rapid motion, taking Akihito’s breath away. Akihito could hear the clicking of the camera again just as Asami pulled his cock out of him, and then he was fucked over again, his waist in the iron grip of Asami’s huge, hot hands, fingers pushing into his skin, leaving purplish bruises in their wake. As Asami pounded into him over and over and over again, he felt his up-building orgasm, the first waves of undeniable pleasure filling up his body and mind, his toes curling into themselves, his chest tightening and his mind struggling with reality.

“Oh, Ryu… ichi… God… No… I…” he gasped as he neared closer and closer to the edge.

“Not yet, Akihito,” hissed Asami as he grabbed and tightened his grip around the boy’s cock, preventing him from coming.

Akihito felt like blowing up and dying, his struggle and pain because of his denied climax getting the worst of him. He started to groan and moan inarticulately, Asami still fucking him with quick movements and smart hip-work, poking the boy’s sweet spot over and over again, driving him desperate and crazy.

He suddenly pulled out entirely of Akihito and a few seconds later the boy felt his hot cum splatter all over his back, dribbling down on his sides and dripping onto the expensive carpet. The inevitable sound of the camera followed close behind.

Asami grabbed his waist, spun him around and pushed him down onto his knees, one of the man’s hands staying on his shoulder. The other pumped the man’s half-erect cock, leading it towards Akihito’s face, the boy knowing perfectly fine what he was expected to do. He reached up to the cock and took over Asami’s right hand’s place, pumping and stroking the cock, his mouth enclosing around the head of it and licking and tasting the slit that still oozed a little bit of cum. He slowly started to take the cock into his mouth, but Asami grabbed the sides of his head and started to fuck him in the mouth, the head of his cock touching the end of Akihito’s throat and making the boy gag again and again. The only sound in the room was the gagging and slurping of Akihito, trying to cope with the huge member rammed into his face over and over again.

As he looked up to Asami, tears filling up his eyes and slowly streaming down his face, he could see the determined expression of the man and the animalistic desire in his eyes. He looked once more right into the camera and surprisingly already got used to the flash that still blinded him for a few seconds, but didn’t cause him headache anymore. The picture of him with Asami’s cock buried in his mouth most probably will haunt him till the end of his life.

“Akihito, I’m going to fuck you until you’re unconscious, but I won’t stop there, I will fuck you until I collapse with exhaustion,” said the man with ragged breathing, his movements getting more and more hurried again, “then I will photograph you while you’re still in your ravished state, and I will have those pictures until the end of time.”

The boy couldn’t answer, he could hardly even comprehend half of the words directed to him, so he only let his eyelids droop more and gave up his whole self to Asami’s mercy or sadist tendencies. Who knew at this point?

 

The next time he came to he was already lying in the bed, his butt up in the air, Asami still ramming inside him like there was no tomorrow. He knew that he came not just a few times, but couldn’t remember the exact number. He also remembered faintly that at least a dozen of pictures were already made about his slutty self, his consciousness sometimes fading out then coming back.

Asami didn’t seem to tire: it looked like he went all out, fucking the boy in every imaginable position he could think of. They were at it for hours now, or at least Akihito felt like being fucked for an eternity already, every little muscle in his body hurting, and Asami’s cum filling him up almost entirely, his insides most probably already covered in the pearly white liquid.

“I… can’t… anymore,” he stuttered almost inaudible, his throat dry and his lips chapped.

“I still have some more rounds left in me, my dear Akihito,” replied Asami, his voice also hoarse and ragged.

“Please… spare me,” whined the boy, once more feeling his up-coming orgasm taking over his body and making him shiver and his eyes rolling back into his head. 

He lost consciousness again and the next time he woke up in the bathtub sitting between Asami’s legs, the man wiping his limp body with a sponge delicately and carefully. He tilted his head onto the man’s shoulder, his eyelids fluttering open and close, his breathing finally normal and his body feeling exhausted. Asami didn’t notice him waking up, he only lifted up the boy’s arm delicately and scrubbed it lightly with the citrus scented body wash, the one that Akihito identified as one of Asami’s trademark scents. He felt overjoyed for smelling like Asami.

“Say something embarrassingly cheesy, Ryu,” he croaked finally, Asami tensing up for a moment from the surprise.

“I feel like you are making fun of me, Akihito,” commented the man with amusement in his voice.

“I would never,” grinned the boy and he lifted up his hand to touch Asami’s face behind him somewhere, “I really hope I won’t poke your eye out. Though you’d be an exquisite pirate.”

He found what he was looking for and he stroked the jaw and face covered in stubble, this little detail bringing Asami closer to earth. 

_Yeah, he also has stubble, suck it world!_

They still lingered in the tub for a little more then Asami took Aki in his arms, the boy flailing and opposing the act, and put him down sitting onto the counter next to the tap. He towelled the boy dry, sharing a few kisses like silly little kids with their first loves, then also dried himself. They stayed there for a while, Asami standing between Akihito’s opened legs, just kissing and nibbling on each other and touching and exploring, their warmth intermingling.

And Akihito just couldn’t contain himself, he so not wanted to be the first one but couldn’t fight against it anymore, the words wanted to break out of him and consume his soul and mind.

“I love you,” he whispered, his arms weaved around Asami’s neck, “I love you so much I feel like I am about to die.”

Asami didn’t answer just pulled the boy into him, kissing him softly again, maybe pouring his feeling into the boy instead of words. Akihito at this point didn’t know and didn’t care anymore. He felt like he found what he wanted, he felt like everything was perfect. He felt like he arrived back home after a long and tiring journey. And he wanted to stay there forever and ever until the day he died.

They ended up somehow in the bed, Akihito half-lying on Asami’s chest, the calm beating of the man’s heart relaxing him and lulling him to sleep. Though he still didn’t give up on making Asami embarrass himself just a little.

“Say something cheesy,” he tried again, the words slowly and sluggishly rolling off his tongue.

“I never had such a perfect birthday in my life, and it is all thanks to you, my lovely Akihito,” rumbled the man also half asleep.

“I’m really glad to hear it,” yawned the boy and he burrowed himself more into Asami, pulling the blanket over his shoulder, covering himself almost entirely, “Good night, Ryu.”

He almost instantly fell asleep though he still felt as Asami pecked a long kiss onto his forehead.

 

When Akihito woke up it was already light outside, the sun still staying low on the sky. Asami wasn’t in the bed next to him anymore, though his warmth still lingered between the sheets. The boy only burrowed himself into the pillow and felt like bursting with happiness as the happenings of the previous evening got back to him. Asami said it was his best birthday ever, or something like that, and it filled up Akihito with so much joy because initially that is what he planned to achieve.

He sat up after a few minutes of lying around and realized that his clothes were neatly folded onto the chair where he made Asami sit for his attempted lap dance. He smiled to himself because of his silliness and shook his head to get rid of his embarrassing thoughts. He could see the polaroid pictures on the bedside table, neatly stocked into a pile. He dared to look at the one on the top, but it was only him with his flushed cheeks, cum mixed with saliva dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. He put the picture back down and tried to forget the image though it wasn’t an easy feat.

As he crawled out of bed he put on his boxer shorts and the shirt Asami provided him for this dance, and he walked out of the bedroom, searching for his lover.

_My lover!_

He walked all over the place, opened doors and looked out to every available balcony, but couldn’t find Asami anywhere. He looked into the man’s closet and there wasn’t a suit missing from its hanger. It was as if Asami disappeared into thin air. Or at least it felt like until the man arrived back with a big noise, dressed in work out clothes, dripping with sweat. He rushed past Akihito and the boy could hear the door of the bathroom clicking closed.

He strolled all over the flat again, checking into the kitchen where the ruins of yesterday’s night were already cleaned up, and the tile shone brightly all over again. He decided to prepare some breakfast because he felt hungry like a wolf and also Asami sure needed some nourishment after fucking like a champion the whole night then working out in the morning. He was already mixing up eggs and chopping vegetables when Asami walked into the kitchen, his scent arriving sooner then him.

“Do you like omelettes or scrambled eggs more?” asked the boy chattily, though he didn’t turn towards the man.

Asami didn’t answer at all, though Akihito could feel the man’s intense gaze on himself.

“Oi, I’m talking to you. Or are you distracted because of my clothes?” he asked cheekily.

Asami sighed then sat down.

“Akihito, we need to talk,” he said without any emotion whatsoever.

“Oh God, did I say or do something embarrassing?” asked the boy a bit blushing, “I mean I’m really stupid when I get drunk, and considering yesterday’s amount I’m sure that I was drunk,” he bubbled happily, “Or are you going to break up with me?” he grinned then shook his head.

Asami didn’t laugh. He didn’t even crack a smile, and Akihito slowly felt the time freeze and him falling into a bottomless pit.

“Akihito, I want you to change into your clothes and go home. We’re over for good,” he said pragmatically and with such a straight face that Akihito actually couldn’t really grasp it at all.

“Wh… why?” he asked, though he chocked hard on his upcoming tears.

“Your ex-boyfriend was right. You are a slut who sold himself for a cheap camera. I can’t possibly be with someone so superficial. Or actually I could be, but you are so under my social status that I cannot risk being seen with you. I need to think of my reputation, and you, you are definitely bringing me down in the long run.”

Asami impatiently looked away, evidently waiting for Akihito to get out of there as soon as possible.

“But you were the one who hunted me down. You were the one who pursued me and invited me out, and you were sticking so desperately to this thing. You could have broken it off with me without a second thought after the Rina-incident, but you didn’t!” Akihito felt the hysteria coming up, the words rattling out of him more and more rapidly, his voice hitching higher and higher, “You gave me the camera, you took me out on a date, you made me your lover!” he shrieked finally, loosing all of his dignity slowly, “Hell you even told me that you didn’t care about those people! The rich that is!”

“Well, I couldn’t have possibly broken up with you before fucking you thoroughly, I mean I wanted to try you since that warm March evening when I first laid my eyes on you in that dirty alley,” shrugged Asami casually, “and look I had you in every possible position and now I’m kicking you to the curb. It is just the treatment a stray like you deserves.”

Akihito could feel his jaw drop. He fought against the tears welling up in his eyes and he more or less succeeded to keep them restricted. He inhaled deeply and kept the air in until he counted to ten, then exhaled. He knew that if he let himself break down he was lost. So he struggled and forced himself to still keep his ground against the composed Asami in his fluffy white bathrobe, with his dishevelled hair and perfectly shaven face. He stood his ground against the golden eyes burning a hole into him.

“I am sorry that I told you I love you,” said Akihito after feeling calmer, “This is truly how I feel, but if I scared you then forget about it and let’s get back to the way we were before.”

“There is nothing that was before either, I only planned to charm your pants off and fuck you thoroughly, and I completed my goal so now I bid you farewell, because I know that it’d be harder to get rid of a stray like you after a longer while,” explained Asami calmly as well, “Suoh will take you wherever you want to go, and after that we will never see each other ever again. We are over, accept it.”

Akihito stood there dumbfounded, the whole world spinning around him and only him frozen in the exact same point in time, the shattering sound of his heart echoing in his whole body and most probably the resonance could be felt outside as well. He blinked at Asami again and again, his tears inevitably and uncontrollably flowing from his eyes, his sight blurry. His breathing started to quicken, his short gasps inevitably turning into heart-wrenching sobs and small cries.

He never planned to cry in front of Asami, or in front of anyone else on that matter, but here and now he broke down without any restrains and he couldn’t stop himself anymore. He felt devastated and betrayed, yesterday’s perfect happening proving to be Asami’s plans to ravish the boy then throw him away. And how wonderfully it turned out for him, the charming smiles, the sweet words, the gallant gestures, everything played out just right to his hands. As far as Akihito knew, the man could have hired Rina to influence and convince Akihito. He could be the game master and Akihito would never ever know it.

After a few minutes he gathered himself, wiped his face with the sleeve of Asami’s expensive shirt and marched out of the kitchen without a second glance, aiming for the bedroom to collect his items.

He slid his pants and t-shirt on then dropped everything that presumably belonged to him into his shoulder bag, his Polaroid camera on top of it all. He then decided to bring the pictures of him as well, but the whole bunch just flew out of his shaking hands as he collected the pack from the bedside table. The pictures all dropped onto the carpet, and he shamefully needed to pick them up, seeing the embarrassing and mortifying images of himself getting fucked variously, questionable bodily fluids covering almost every inch of his skin.

When he finished with the collecting he only put his bag on his shoulder and without a second thought marched out of the bedroom, back into the kitchen with only one set goal in mind.

“You’re still here?” asked Asami tiredly as he turned a page in the newspaper he read.

“Hey, Asami,” growled Akihito angrily.

“Hm?” glanced the man up and in the next moment Akihito’s prepared right fist hit him right in the nose, the cracking sound filling the room.

“Fuck yourself, asshole,” spat Akihito then he was out the door, slipping his shoes on and leaving the penthouse in Shinjuku, already planning his next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, terribly, truly sorry. I know I'm gonna burn on a stake after building the whole thing up. I hate myself so much as well.
> 
> But it's gonna be okay I promise!
> 
> Till next time :33
> 
> Please don't hate me too much!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> Still sorry for the last chapter, you will get some explanation in this one hopefully :))
> 
> Also I changed POV again because we needed someone who interacts with both of our lovelies. So here is Rina's POV. I know that most of you find her irritating but she just wants the best for the lovebirds.
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> Hugs

_Rina's POV_

She woke with a start as the front door of the flat slammed shut. She could hear the hurried steps echoing from the ganken then edging closer to Akira’s room but stopping just before the door next door, Akihito’s room. It most probably meant that the boy arrived home though the timing and the inconsiderate, careless behaviour didn’t resemble the boy’s style.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table and checked the time that was disappointingly barely 7:45 in the morning. She crawled out from Akira’s embrace and sat up, planning to interrogate Akihito because she most probably felt more excited for Asami’s not-so-surprise birthday celebration than the man himself. 

And also she was hungry for gossip as always. 

Oh well, she grew up to be like this, her home always filled with the freshest gossips off the street thanks to her mother and big sister. They always knew everything that went on, the cheatings, the pregnancies, and the divorces; seriously everything. There wasn’t anything they couldn’t dig up, and nothing ever passed their carefully watching eyes and listening ears. And after their death it all stopped all at once.

She never reminisced on the past, how she lost all her family and found a new place to be called home at the Asami’s. She just felt utterly and overwhelmingly grateful that she could start over, go to school, have a warm bed to sleep in and delicious food to eat. The Asami household gave her the chance to step out of the status of a poor orphan who’s only family got massacred by a drunken father who then decided to shoot himself in the head as well, leaving behind a scared and scarred little girl to struggle through her life. And every day she woke up with the love towards her foster parents who treated her equally to their own child, though the magnificently talented boy only made her regret her choices and her simplicity. 

At the beginning she despised Ryuichi, the golden boy who could play the piano like a grand master with millions of fans, who could recite every little poem and novel he has ever read, impressing the teachers and scholars all over the school, who could so easily do whatever he wanted to do because he was born under the right stars. He never had to struggle, never had to seriously suffer to reach something because he could achieve whatever he wanted only with a little effort. And this irked Rina to no end. She studied and pulled all-nighters to get an average mark in high school while Ryu did nothing and easily ended up in top 3, mostly number one. She did archery, but Ryu was better than her even though he only had a limited practice for two years in middle school. She tried herself in calligraphy only to get the grand prize snatched by Ryu who only made a lame school assignment to one of his classes. In the end she decided to do ballet because she knew that Ryu wouldn’t embarrass himself with something so girly like dancing, but she needed to give it up after her ankle broke during a skiing accident. 

She grew up in the shadow of the adored Asami Ryuichi, her teachers always praising his “big brother” and reprimanding the girl because she never acted so eminently as the boy: she talked back and shown her true nature, and ever so often she ended up in detention because of it. And the cycle went on and on both in middle and high school, when Rina decided that she had enough and applied to university in London where she knew that nobody would compare her to her stupid foster-brother.

_It’s not the time to pity myself!_

She crawled out of the bed and started for the door, finally realizing why she got up initially. She shook her head, making the sudden memories disappear, and silently opened the door, making sure that no one woke up to her sneaking around. 

The door to Akihito’s room stood slightly ajar: she could see the boy crouching by his wardrobe and emptying its content into a big travel bag, most of the drawers already standing abandoned. She could feel a bit of a weird aura emitting into the ether of the room, but didn’t really think about it too much. She tapped lightly on the wood of the door and pushed it a bit more open.

“G’morning, Aki-chan,” she said cheerfully when the boy didn’t turn towards her.

She received no answer either; it seemed that the boy totally ignored her presence, or maybe still was so deep in wonderland that couldn’t comprehend the happenings in real life. She wandered into the room and slumped down onto the boy’s bed.

“Oi, Aki, you’re going somewhere with Ryu?” she asked interested and put Aki’s pillow into her lap, experimentally slapping the fabric.

She could see from her peripheral that Akihito’s back muscles contracted and the boy himself froze for a few seconds. Then the packing continued with more hurrying movements.

“No,” answered Aki without any emotions and opened the last drawer to drop some things into his already full bag.

“Then why are you packing?” mused the girl, her legs swinging by the side of the bed.

“I’m going home,” came the curt answer and Akihito zipped his bag, standing up straight.

He dropped the bag by the door then took a t-shirt and jeans from his drawer and went into the bathroom opening from his room. He emerged in less than a minute, already changed.

This time Rina could examine him, and she saw the red, puffy eyes and the persistent frown on the boy’s face. Something evidently wasn’t good.

“You’re home now. Are you sure you’re not still drunk?” she inquired slowly, afraid that Akihito may break down or blow up on her.

“I’m going back to Fukuoka, I had enough of Tokyo for a hundred lifetimes,” replied the boy seriously, then he was already stepping into a pair of used sneakers, and pocketing his belonging, “I think I should have stayed where I was.”

Rina only gaped at him, not really understanding what exactly was about to happen. She dropped the boy’s pillow and stood up, slowly starting for him. She couldn’t comprehend the boy’s words and actions, and definitely needed to know the happenings that lead to this serious and wretched outburst.

“What? Why?” she asked finally, when her voice returned, “What about Ryu?”

Akihito froze again, and took a deep breath, his mouth slowly quivering.

“Nothing. He broke up with me,” answered the boy finally, somewhat calm, “He said what I knew he would say.”

“What the fuck?!” screamed the girl and she grabbed both of Akihito’s shoulders and shook him, “What do you mean he broke up with you?”

“Just what I said: he broke up with me. He ended our whatever-it-was type of relationship. He said never to meet again then told me that Suoh will drive me home. And that I should accept the fact that we are over for good,” rambled Akihito, and his voice started to hitch and his breathing quickened. Rina could see the tears filling up his eyes.

“No,” whispered the girl, feeling the blood flowing out of her face, “He couldn’t do that.”

“Well, he did,” sobbed Akihito, and Rina hugged him tightly because she felt so bad for him. Though this was just one feeling he had in herself. The other one was the boiling anger towards Asami _fucking_ Ryuichi who made this pure hearted boy weep.

“Tell me everything that happened and what he said,” ordered the girl and she pushed Akihito down onto his bed. She sat next to him and clasped his trembling hands tight.

“Everything went perfectly fine for the night, we had fun and danced and goofed around and everything and… you know… and in the morning he was like someone who got totally abducted by aliens and replaced by an emotionless android,” explained the boy slowly, “I mean maybe I am to blame, I told him I love him and maybe he didn’t want to hear it. Or I don’t know, but then he just said all those things to me and… I… I’m still shocked how we ended up where we are. So I decided to leave the city because I had one too many heartbreak and it’s not getting any better.”

“What do you mean by “all those things”?” inquired the girl, feeling like gutting her cousin.

“It doesn’t matter,” shrugged Akihito, his sad smile almost making Rina cry as well. He was so badly hurt, this smile only made the girl pity him more.

“Yes, it does matter, because I need to know how many times I need to kick and punch him in the gut!” hissed Rina angrily, “That stupid motherfucker!”

They sat in silence for a few seconds then Akihito started to talk again.

“He said that Kai was right because I really am a slut selling myself for a camera,” he mumbled slowly.

“But he gave you the camera! I was there I saw it! You haven’t asked for it!” shrieked Rina irritated, ready to tear Asami’s head off.

Akihito only held up his hand to make Rina stop.

“He said, that I am so under him in social status that I only bring him down,” continued the boy, his emotions slowly getting lost and only a monotone voice remaining from him, “he said that he only wanted to fuck me, and he needs to throw me out because a stray like me deserves this. He told me that we never had anything ever so it doesn’t really matter whether I loved him or not.”

The pregnant silence in the room became almost deafening, Akihito and Rina only sitting on the boy’s bed, holding hands and digesting the words that still echoed in the stillness of the bedroom. Rina could feel the still on-going trembling of Akihito’s hands, the boy struggling with and fighting against the hysteria that he could somehow contain till he got back into the flat.

“What the fuck is his problem?! I’m gonna murder that son of a bitch!” exclaimed Rina finally, “How could he say such bullshit?! OH MY GOD! He loves you! He couldn’t even hide it however hard he tries! I was pretty sure that he’d take you to Canada to marry him in like three weeks! Oh God!!”

“I don’t think he loves me,” sobbed Akihito, his crying starting with slow hiccups, “I think he’s just the greatest pretender of our time. He couldn’t love someone like me, he could only think of me as a toy, a plaything, a slave. And look how hooked I got because I thought that he’s going to be different. I should have known better.”

“No, oh Aki, please, you’re not the one to blame here,” pulled Rina the boy into a tight, warm embrace, “You are not silly to believe him because his feelings were and, I can assure you, are true. He just has some stupid complex or whatever going on in him, his fear of getting in a committed relationship the first time getting the best of him. But he does love you, he’s totally head over heels for you.”

Rina felt as Akihito grabbed both of her shoulders and pushed her away, their embrace cut off. Akihito gazed at her strictly, though his eyes didn’t tell anything to the girl.

“You know, I am convinced that you may be an accomplice. Hell, you could really be his fiancée as far as I know! You two are so weird and so out of my world, maybe you just wanted to have fun with me,” explained the boy vehemently, “And to be honest I’d be glad and relieved if you’d just simply admit it because then I wouldn’t feel like such an idiot.”

“I am not an accomplice! How could you think of me like that? We’re friends for God’s sake!” replied Rina, and she felt so hurt and betrayed not just by his friend but also Ryu, “I wouldn’t be able to do this to anybody, I am a human as well.”

“You know, I don’t really believe in you anymore, neither of you,” sighed Akihito and he stood up, “you are not my guest so I cannot make you leave, but please get out of my room. I don’t have anything to do with you or Asami anymore.”

“Akihito…” reached Rina for the boy from her sitting position on the bed, but Aki brushed her hand away.

“Please, leave my room,” said the boy without any emotion and he turned back towards his wardrobe to get a hoodie from one of the hangers.

Rina, defeated, ascended from the bed and started towards the door, her thoughts mixing and tumbling, and her anger towards Ryu almost making her blind. She stopped on the threshold, her head bumped against the wood of the frame, and she tried to say something to ease Akihito’s pain and bitterness.

“I am truly sorry because of that idiot, I will get the truth out of him, I promise,” she said determined then she closed Akihito’s door behind herself and walked back to Akira’s room.

 

Twenty minutes later she hurried through the hall of Asami’s building, the rubber soles of her shoes squeaking in the enormous space. She called the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently against the marble tiles, her anger almost getting the best of her. She felt like punching and kicking Ryu until he lost consciousness, though she wouldn’t be able to do it however hard she tried.

They practiced judo and kendo together often but Ryu, being eight years older than her, always kicked her butt. Though nobody could compete with the Asami kids in any competition that was for sure. Still they kept on competing with each other and getting higher and higher ranks and participating at more renowned competitions nationally and internationally as well. At least until Rina’s accident.

Their relationship started to get better after that particular happening, the girl breaking her ankle and crying in the middle of the woods. Of course she needed to go off slope, and of course she needed to injure herself during that time. It was a stupid competition with Ryuichi of course, who could get to the ski lift faster, and she decided to take a shortcut. She didn’t expect that there was less snow outside the slopes and the forest was full of rocks and cliffs and she just missed a turn and her ski got stuck and gravity did its job. So she sat in the middle of the abandoned woods for hours, crying, her leg throbbing and driving her crazy, and her phone dead because of the cold. She could see already herself frozen to death and prayed for everyone to have a peaceful and great life, when Ryu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wheezing and always so vigilant and when he saw the girl he just seemed so relieved.

_“You idiot! I was searching for you for hours and you’re sitting here like everything’s fine?”_

_“I broke my leg.”_

_“Stupid girl…”_

Then Ryu carried her off the hill to the hospital where she got treated. It turned out that Ryu actually called the mountain cops and the emergency numbers and asked around everywhere whether they saw the girl. So it turned out that he cared for her however hard he tried to hide it. And since then Rina put up with his shit because she knew that the man cared.

Well, she put up with it until now.

When the elevator door opened at the topmost floor she just breezed through the corridor and entered the ganken like a tornado. She kicked her shoes off and dropped her jacket then ran for the faint smell of smoke coming from the living room.

Indeed, Ryu was sitting in there in his almost trademark bathrobe (seriously he wore bathrobes as much as he wore designer suits!), his legs resting on the coffee table. He had a cigarette dangling in his mouth, a crystal bottle of whiskey in his left hand, and his phone in his right, it actually resting by his ear. He rapidly talked business while letting the cigarette smoke fuming through his nose. When the cigarette burnt to its butt he just flicked it into the crystal ashtray that already had more butts in it that was enough for a week.

Rina just stood in the door watching her foster-brother/cousin drinking and smoking his life away with Friday morning, and somewhat working, but when she saw the Polaroid picture of Akihito on the coffee table she decided that it was time to act. She marched up to Ryu and tore his phone out of his hand, ending the call in the middle of it.

“What now, stupid girl?” asked the man tiredly.

“We need to talk,” hissed Rina and she could see the purplish-blackish bruise that took over Asami’s magnificently carved nose and under his dimly lit amber eyes. She felt proud to call Akihito her friend more and more.

“About what?” sighed Asami as he took a swig from his whiskey.

Rina definitely remembered that she filled the bottle to its fullest yesterday morning when she left to Aki’s place. And now it only had three or four inches of liquid left in it.

“The reason for your self-destructing drinking and smoking, and why you aren’t at work,” she said and she walked up to Asami, her hands on her hips, “and why you decided to get rid of the best that ever happened to you!”

Asami only rolled his eyes and lifted the bottle again, but Rina caught the neck of it. They had an intense stare-down and the man finally gave in and let the bottle go.

“I don’t know what you are rambling about,” said Asami nonchalantly.

“You’re drunk and try to give yourself lung cancer. You definitely have issues at nine in the morning on Friday, the day after your 35th birthday,” bubbled Rina lecturing though she still could feel the urge to punch Ryu.

“That is the reason I am drinking: celebrating getting older,” cocked his eyebrow Asami.

“I thought you celebrated yesterday with Akihito,” replied the girl casually.

“That was the pre-party, today is the real show of the year,” opened his arms Asami wide, like someone waiting for applause.

“You are a total idiot! How could you break up with Akihito?” jumped Rina into the topic she came for, “are you out of your mind? How could you make that pure, innocent boy cry?”

Asami didn’t answer for a while, only the buzzing of his phone could be heard in the room. He looked out the window then at Rina.

“I don’t care about that stray. He was just a nice plaything and I got bored. I am 35 now and I need to think of my reputation and cannot live for my childish whims. So I ended it before it became uncomfortable, his clinging and everything,” explained the man. He sounded so genuine that Rina almost believed it, though she also have witnessed the previous happenings and feelings as well.

“You know what a bullshit you just said? Your mouth will smell like poop for the rest of the month,” she hissed irritated.

“You are just a girl who doesn’t understand anything, you think that life is just this romantic whatever and everyone is happy and everything is perfect. But you need to wake up and observe the obvious: people suffer, relationships are for benefits and mankind is definitely the worst that could have ever happened,” spoke Asami softly, “So I ask you not to dig into my business because you have no right to do so.”

“I just don’t understand what happened, why you needed to cut Aki-chan off, and why so harshly,” said the girl a bit more softly, “I mean, everyone could see that you are crazy about him. Then what happened?”

“That boy, Takaba Akihito, didn’t mean anything to me. Ever.”

Rina, without realizing it, balled her hands into fists and started to pound them against her thighs. She turned around and inarticulately groaned and whined, she was so mad at Ryu.

“You may say it to convince yourself as well, but we all now it’s definitely not the truth,” she said finally from the other end of the living room where she could be sure she didn’t slap the crap out of Asami because of his idiotic answers, “you went so far as to almost stalk him, you have a bodyguard set on him, on his every movement, you wouldn’t do it for just a nobody!”

“I needed to keep a close eye on my property, that boy being an easily seduced one,” replied Asami casually, “He also almost got back together with his ex.”

“No, he didn’t! Oh God, were you _ever_ paying attention to him?” shouted Rina.

“Keep it down, you’ll disturb the neighbours,” shushed her Ryu.

“Shut the fuck up you asshole! How can you say such blatant idiotism?! Are you high or something? He was the best that ever happened to you! He could have given you everything that you wanted or even more! Hell, he didn’t even know the whole of you and still got rid of his fears and restrains and jumped into it! He trusted you with his sexy pictures evidently!” she beckoned towards the picture on the table.

“And what a foolish mistake it was. All of it,” reached Asami for the picture and examined it. It was the first picture with Akihito’s puffy, red lips and half-lidded eyes.

Rina hurried up to him and tore the picture out of his hand. She also grabbed the Zippo lighter that rested on the table next to an empty pack of cigarettes.

“Well, if he didn’t mean anything to you I’m sure you don’t need this picture,” she mused and she rolled the lighter on her jeans, the spark igniting the lighter. She put the picture right above the flame though not close enough to burn it.

Then she heard the familiar _click_.

“If you harm that picture that is the last thing you ever do in your life,” spoke Asami without any emotions in his voice, his gun pointed square to Rina’s chest.

“You’d shoot your own foster-sister because of a picture of a boy you don’t care about. I don’t know whether I am impressed by your priorities or ashamed to call you family,” she grinned.

She closed the lighter and dropped it onto the thick carpet with the picture.

“You are a selfish bastard who deserves to burn in hell. That boy, he was the best that ever happened to you and I am certain that you won’t ever find somebody like him again. He could have given you so much, basically everything that you needed, but no, you decided to just fuck it up,” ranted the girl angrily.

“What everything I needed? I have everything I want. I own half of Tokyo, I can sleep with a different person every single day till the end of my life and I can even buy him back if I want to,” explained Asami jovially.

“No, you can’t. He’s devastated and ruined, he’ll never want to talk to you or see you ever again. You fucked it up big time, Golden Boy,” accused Rina.

“Then it is what it is,” shrugged Asami and he reached for the pack of cigarettes to light another one.

“I also need to congratulate you because you not only got him out of the flat and ward with your little speech, but also the city. If he had a passport he sure as hell would leave the country just to get out of your suffocating grasp,” told the girl bitterly.

“What do you mean? Where did he go?” asked the man suddenly piqued.

“He went back to Fukuoka with the first train he could find, I’m surprised that you haven’t got the news from your bodyguard yet,” scowled the girl.

“Thank God he left,” sighed Asami and he leaned back into the couch, evidently relieved.

“Are you fucking serious? You are definitely hiding something, the real reason you broke up with the love of your miserable, lonely life!” shouted Rina again, feeling like gutting Asami.

“The fact that I never had a long-time relationship doesn’t mean that I have a miserable, lonely life. And to be completely honest with you I was always all alone and I’m perfectly fine on my own,” explained the man.

“No, you were never alone, you always had me,” fought Rina, her voice filled with sorrow and regret, and she walked up to the living room door, “But I don’t feel like being there for you anymore.”

She didn’t wait for Asami’s answer, only walked to the guest room and started to pack the most necessary stuff he needed to bring with herself to her new home. Most probably she’d stay at Akira’s though she needed to inform the boy before appearing with her luggage.

She packed swiftly everything then left her room with big noises, having a slight hope that Ryu may call after her and tells her not to go. 

But it didn’t happen. She stepped into the ganken, put on her shoes and left without any other words to Asami Ryuichi.

 

_Two and a half weeks later_

She couldn’t believe that she forgot her iPhone charger at Ryu’s. Since it was an American one she needed her special cable and Akira’s wasn’t good. She despised going back to the flat after her final exit, but unfortunately she needed to have a working phone and she didn’t have money for another one.

Since it was Tuesday noon she really hoped that Ryu wouldn’t be around, most probably the flat would feel like nobody lived there. Just like before Rina moved in. Just like before Akihito started to regularly visit. Just like before Asami Ryuichi became a flesh and bone human being not some phantom in his own home.

She slowly slipped the keycard into its slot and waited for the door to open. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Ryu changed the locks but the door opened without any problem whatsoever. She walked in slowly, only on her tiptoes, the heels of her pumps not reaching the floor. But nobody was home, one pair of Ryu’s shoes evidently missing from its spot.

She stepped out of her shoes and rushed to her room, making sure she spent the least time she needed to in the flat. Maybe she’d get nostalgic and move back in, deciding to forgive Ryu. Maybe she’d even say something stupid like she loved him (strictly like family!) and didn’t want to be in a bad relationship anymore. She almost jumped out of her skin when she finally found her iPhone cable and could finally leave the flat that smelt like tobacco and cleaning liquid (the proof that the cleaning lady still came by regularly).

She almost reached the ganken when the ajar door of Ryu’s home office hit her peripheral. She tried to convince herself that she didn’t care. She tried to walk past and go on her own way. She really did. But she was also curious by nature and an opened door to a secret palace was so inviting that it got the best of her.

She sneaked into the office on her tiptoes, making sure that really no one was in there or in the flat for that matter then she went through the documents left on the table. Nothing really interesting just the blueprints for some bars that were about to be built and some accounting bullshit.

She needed to go deeper.

She kneeled down to the drawers and pulled a bobby pin out of her hair, her bangs instantly falling before her eyes. She tried to get rid of them but couldn’t, so she just started to pick the lock to the drawers instead. She perfected her technique during her school years when her foster-parents locked up her phone or PSP when she got bad grades and she needed to get them back. They had the exact same table at home, though it was older and more ragged. This table was the proof how sentimental Ryu could become.

As she thought about the past, pouting to herself, the first drawer opened up. And she only found a fountain pen, some contracts and more blueprints and accounting records in it. Also a pack of chewing gums that definitely didn’t belong to Ryu, but Akihito.

The second drawer had mostly the same documents, a golden lighter, a sharp, silver letter opener and a notebook with scribbles, the one the boys used in the café.

And in the third drawer she found what she was unconsciously looking for. The folder with the name TAKABA AKIHITO scribbled on it filled up half of the place. She put it onto the table and sat down into the leather chair to leaf through the contents of the impressive collection of Akihito. The first time she saw this folder it was only a tenth of its thickness.

She started to quickly turn the pages and check the reports, mainly the same things, mostly from Fukuoka. So the private eye followed the boy home. So Asami indeed was a big liar whose pants definitely should be on fire. He obsessed with the boy, kept his gum and notebook with the little scribbles and he also had a picture book of the boy from his minions. What was that if not a love confession?

As she went through the pictures he could see that Akihito went out a lot at home, drinking with friends and flirting with men, though it seemed that at the end of the night he always went home all alone. Besides that he also started to help at a local photo shop, though only voluntarily and part-time. He enjoyed time with his family, played with his dog (a golden retriever that was in the family’s possession for four years) and read books under the shade of an apple tree.

“You lovesick fool, you got rid of him and yet you know every step he takes,” sighed Rina as she still leafed through the pages.

Then the first threat message appeared. It was written in Korean. And it wrote about Akihito’s well being and what a pity would it be if something happened to him, also a good candid shot of the boy laughing with friends included. Then came the other with a more aggressive tone, suggesting that the boy should be kept more securely because he’s such a fragile being. Also a picture attached, that one from the clubbing event where they last were together, only three weeks ago. And there were more.

Rina, till the end of the folder, could find sixteen threat messages, some passive-aggressive, some flat-out threatening with Akihito’s well-being. And it seemed that however little Ryu cared in the beginning, the closer they got to Akihito the more he needed to distance himself to keep the boy safe.

So he broke up with him.

“I knew it, you son of a bitch,” mumbled Rina as she put the pictures and reports back into the folder and dropped it back into the drawer.

She had a new task in hand: she needed to get to Fukuoka ASAP.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm so most of you had right guesses, and I somehow feel offended that I'm not that surprisingly planning my plot as I thought haha. Though I only received one comment about the Koreans even though I hinted them a few times!
> 
> We'll see what happens!
> 
> Also next chapter is back at Aki's POV
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Sweethearts!
> 
> Oh god you swarmed me with your nice comments and messages and I'm so grateful for it!! Thank you so much for your support, I love all of you so much!! :)))
> 
> I have modified some things in my storyboard since I got a sudden idea rush after I got a lengthy comment. And oh my I can't wait till you read it all!
> 
> Btw I think this story is about 8-12 chapters more then it finishes :(((
> 
> But I have a lot of new AU ideas and I will keep you updated nonetheless!!
> 
> Have fun reading!! :33

As Akihito walked down the rough cobblestoned shortcut through the woods, that he always used since he attended middle school first year, he could feel the warm sunshine caressing his cheeks and shoulders and the mild summer breeze that lightly ruffled his hair and the leaves of the neighbouring trees. The pathway belonged to the shrine he could see from his window every morning, though the building was already ragged and abandoned. He used to come play in the woods surrounding the shrine, the nature’s closeness just outside the safety of his home being a nice added plus. He knew the woods like the back of his hands even know, almost 15 years later.

When he turned the corner to leave the premises of the shrine, he stopped to look at a little girl with her mama, they both mesmerized by a huge white cat that leisurely strolled through the street right in front of them. He could hear the faint, excited chitchatting of old ladies coming from one of the shops down the street, and the laughing and shrieking of children from the elementary school close by.

He was at home.

He continued his way down the hill to get to his current workplace (though he worked for nought) and his eyes wandered towards the sea that glistened not far away, embracing the city centre from the North and filling the place with the salty scent and the inevitable childhood memories.

He deeply inhaled the refreshing scent coming from the sea when his phone buzzed in his pocket. For a moment his heartbeat quickened, unintentionally expecting someone who wouldn’t ever call, then he remembered that he changed his number and deleted all of the unnecessary contacts from his phone. Including Asami Rina and Asami Ryuichi.

He looked at the display and sighed, building up his walls against the up-coming charming talk.

“Hey Akihito,” greeted him the always so happy voice from one of his new friends, Shougo.

“Hey, ‘sup man?” he replied casually as he continued his way towards the studio.

“Wanna join our surfing crew during the afternoon?” asked the other boy, a little bit of excitement in his voice, “You know I could show you one or more tricks… and not just in water.”

Akihito only rolled his eyes and tried not to sigh again.

“Yeah, sure, at 4 by the beach bar?” he inquired.

“Yep, that’s it,” answered Shougo and Akihito could almost see his charming, playboy smile.

“Okay, see ya,” ended the conversation Akihito and without waiting for an answer he already disconnected the call.

He definitely did not feel like starting something with someone, but in the past three weeks Shougo proved to be a persistent person and it seemed that his intentions went further than having a one-night fuck with Aki. He charmed him and entertained him with silly stories, he taught the boy how to surf and basically they had a fun time together. But Akihito didn’t feel any spark when they were together, his heart didn’t skip a beat when the other boy’s name came up in a conversation, and he definitely couldn’t imagine having sex with him.

Still he decided to get out of the slump. He wallowed in self-pity for long enough and he needed to get back onto the court and score a hottie or a cutie or whatever, but someone who could make him forget. And oh how he wished to forget.

He shook himself mentally when he could feel the emerging of the golden-amber eyes in his mind and sprinted the remaining two blocks to the studio just to make himself do anything but remember to Asami. 

Of course, he remembered him every single day. The glances, the flirting, the touches, the kissing, how hot the man’s skin was as he pushed Akihito up against the wall and fucked him senseless, and how he bit him, marked him, chewed him and swallowed him. How mercilessly he fell into the bottomless pit that Asami Ryuichi so readily set up for him. And how delicious and easy the fall was. And how endless.

_Sometimes I wish I just died when everything was perfect._

As he entered the little shop in the ward’s shopping district, wedged between a pet shop and a beauty salon, he could feel the deep frown on his face. Showing a bad expression, his grandmother used to say, equals to being rude to everyone who you encounter with. And yet smiling felt so far away from him and so incredibly hard.

“Juzuru-san, good morning!” he welcomed his boss as he hurried behind the counter to get a box of brand new films off of the shelf to give to the short man reaching for it.

“Good morning, Akihito-kun,” answered his boss and he took the box from the boy, “Thank you.”

“Uum, Juzuru-san, today I’d like to leave at 3:30, is it okay?” asked Aki as he sat behind the computer and started up the old, noisy machine. He needed to check out the day’s schedule.

“You, my boy, work here for experience and nothing else, I wouldn’t want to limit your youthful adventures, of course you can leave,” smiled his boss as he set up the camera for portrait photos and put it onto its tripod.

Akihito only smiled to himself. He found such a nice place to work at and even though he didn’t get paid, he still felt like someone valuable and useful. He felt lucky each day thinking of the fact that after getting some experience as a photographer, even though only making portrait pictures, he could go on with other challenges. Maybe he could become a paparazzo. Though he definitely needed to move to the States for that. Or at least to Europe. But he didn’t know any foreign languages that good – maybe he should start studying English again.

The computer finally loaded and he could print that day’s schedule, the program for the day being a bit crowded, somehow many people wanting to have family portraits in traditional clothes. Maybe it was thanks to the upcoming summer festival. Or maybe it was a new trend. He didn’t know and didn’t care. At least he was able to play with cameras and make pictures. That was what he lived for after all.

 

As the day went by and he assisted to the pictures, set up the backgrounds, tied and re-tied obis over and over again, and kept crying children off the counters, he felt exhausted beyond imagination. Keeping track of costumers, being nice to them and their spoiled brats and making pictures of them was something he couldn’t really do simultaneously for a long time. Some guests wanted to get their pictures taken over and over and over again because they weren’t satisfied, or maybe the family should stand in a different order, the ladies should sit, but the kids, what to do with the kids? And so on. 

He got sick after the first thirty minutes of a family with four kids, all of them barely out of toddler age, screaming and running around the shop, chasing each other and falling and crying. They even brought their dog, the poor Labrador also dressed in a ridiculous yukata for dogs. 

When the family left the relief that took over the shop was almost palpable. Even his boss was so out of it that he almost smacked one of the kids because it threw one of his expensive cameras in his tantrum. And Akihito saved the day again, jumping for the camera, and scraping his knees on the wood floor during his rescue mission.

“I hate kids, thank god I’m gay,” he commented as he cleaned his still bleeding wounds, “Though I’m sure I’d raise better kids than those.”

“Well, my boy, not everyone knows the right way to do it. To be honest nobody does really. Those parents definitely think that they are doing the right thing, not restricting their children,” the old man scratched his bearded chin, “I mean I thought I raised my girl right, and in the next moment she went abroad with a guy she only knew for three weeks.”

Akihito waited for the continuation of the story but it didn’t ever come.

“And what happened?” he asked finally, finishing up his bandages.

“They got married and have two kids already, half-bloods. Cute little pumpkins, but sure they will also have some ridiculous ideas when they grow up. And as a parent you need to cheer on them and support them. This is how it goes,” the old man went behind the counter and pulled out one of the drawers. He searched for some time then took out a picture with four people on it.

Akihito took the picture and examined it. The guy and a lady seemed so different and yet it was evident that they belonged together. Maybe the way their expressions completed each other, how both of their skins were sun kissed and refreshed. And the kids in their arms also have shown their similarities. This family was like the ones from the picture books, disgustingly perfect and lovely.

“Good for you, old man,” smiled Akihito as he put the picture down onto the glass of the counter and went back to clean up the mess after the previous family.

He thought about having a family. But he never really saw himself getting children. Sure he went out with girls and when he was little he definitely wanted to marry a babe, but then things turned either way or another and he ended up being gay. Maybe he still had his heterosexuality hidden somewhere but he needed to look for it. Also he hasn’t met a nice girl who wooed him for a while now.

He crouched down to collect some chocolate wrapping, irritation crawling up and down his spine, and he only let his guard down for a second but the next moment he found himself dangling in the air, strong arms holding him up like a princess.

His heart skipped a beat, his hopes still getting so high with each surprising happening, and then continued to beat so excitedly and so quickly that he thought he’d go into cardiac arrest. 

“What the crap?!” he exclaimed as he flailed then he could hear the rich, rumbling laughter coming from his captor.

“I came to collect you, Akihito,” beamed Shougo to the boy, “I’m kidnapping you and taking you as my future wife.”

“Put me down, you prick,” giggled Akihito unintentionally, maybe because the other boy’s restlessly moving fingers tickled his side.

“Only if you give me a kiss, Aki-chan,” countered Shougo.

“I’ll kick your ass, will it be okay?” shrieked the boy, and he could feel himself slowly getting back onto the ground, “You scared me, you prick!”

_And for a moment I also thought you were somebody else._

He quickly cleaned the place up then already walked towards the counter to say bye to his boss. Shougo waited patiently by the door, his nonchalant, casual and leisure stand so charming, his whole being so enchanting. And yet Akihito still couldn’t look at him the way he would have done only few months prior. He looked at the flipflops and the bermudas with Hawaiian print, the tank top with the funny text written on it and the other boy’s lovely, just long enough hair that lightened out with the sunshine. And yet he couldn’t think of him as a hottie. Or actually he could, but not one for him, not anymore.

“Shall we go?” asked Shougo as Akihito walked up to him, the boy’s face a bit blushing.

“Sure,” nodded Akihito then he turned back to his boss, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“You don’t need to hurry to be here,” his boss grinned and Akihito could feel the heated gaze from Shougo. Both his boss and the other boy expected something that definitely wouldn’t happen during the night.

They walked out of the shop and Akihito could see Shougo’s motorbike parked just down the road, helmets hanging from each side of the handlebar. Shougo started for it but Akihito only waited, his instinct telling him not to go with the boy.

“I wanna be my own ride,” he said as he started to turn towards going back home.

“Nope, I’m taking you, Aki-chan, on my white horse,” grabbed his left wrist Shougo playfully and started to pull the boy towards his ride, ”and you can be my princess.” 

“That means that I can only leave when you want to,” commented Akihito bitterly.

“And I leave when you would like to, Akihito,” smiled Shougo with satisfaction, “You are my ruler and master,” he descended to one knee and held Akihito’s hand, “My liege.”

Akihito looked around the crowded shopping district and everyone eyed them curiously, some of them with disgust. He tried to rip his hand out of the grasp but couldn’t.

“Shit, I’m going with you, just please don’t embarrass us more!” he rattled out and Shougo stood straight up again.

“As you wish,” grinned the other boy.

“I’m gonna choke you if you keep saying such ridiculous things,” jabbed Akihito his elbow into Shougo’s side.

They reached the bike and Akihito felt just a tiny bit excited thinking about speeding through the city with it. He touched the soft leather of the seating, and the midnight black paintjob. Shougo held out one of the helmets for him and he took it without hesitation, already putting it on. The plastic glass of it was a bit smudged so he flipped it up.

“Shall we go, my liege?” hopped on Shougo and he held out his hand for Akihito to help him up behind himself.

“Don’t call me that,” growled Akihito as he hopped onto the seat.

“Then should I call you my love?” asked the other boy and Akihito felt the hotness filling up his face.

He wished for someone else to call him like that. He wished for the deep, rumbling baritone to purr it in his ears while he gets fucked so hard he loses consciousness.

“Call me by my name,” he said finally.

Shougo didn’t answer, only kicked in the motor and as they started the speed almost threw Akihito off the bike. They sped down the street and stopped abruptly by the stop sign, Akihito getting plastered onto the other boy’s back. He weaved his arms around Shougo’s waist and could hear the faint, satisfied hum from the other.

They sped through the city, slaloming through the highway and wedging into spaces they shouldn’t have done. Akihito felt the adrenalin rush over and over again, his mind eagerly taking every little drop of it and turning it into new and new ideas. Sure he loved his own little Vespa with its cutesy colour and the maximum 60 mph speed, but this, this was something else. He seriously considered getting a real motorbike.

 

As they paddled in more deeply, his muscles already felt sore and a bit aching. They spent about two and a half hours out in the open, the sun scorching the back of his neck and the salty water filling up his every pore. He struggled against exhaustion, and yet excitedly dove in once more. He felt alive as he waited for the next big wave to ride.

He already felt his vigilance resting, letting his guard down and he decided that after this round he’d finish for the day. He only craved for a bottle of ice-cold beer and some lotion to smear onto the back of his neck since he already felt it burnt.

“AKIHITO! UP!” he heard Shougo’s shout behind him and in the next moment a huge wave swallowed him whole, the tide pulling him under. He thanked god that he bound the surfboard to his ankle, the wood keeping him close to the surface.

He should have emerged to the surface but being under the clear greenish-bluish water, hearing nothing and no one, stimulated his mind. He needed this calmness and he took advantage of his accident. Hell, he definitely wasn’t a damsel in distress and he only needed some calm moments to get rid of the bad thoughts and memories in his mind.

But he couldn’t stay.

As he decided to get back onto the board and paddle out, he saw as Shougo dived into the water. The other boy only swam quickly for him and grabbed him by the waist, pulling Aki towards the surface. They emerged together, Shougo eyeing Akihito in panic.

“Shit, I thought you got injured,” hissed Shougo as they got closer to Aki’s board.

“I’m okay, don’t worry,” wheezed Akihito as they clung to his surfboard.

“Don’t scare the crap out of me like that ever again!” reprimanded him the other boy, and Akihito felt so ashamed that he freaked someone out just because he was selfishly offing himself for a bit.

“I’m really sorry,” he apologized again.

Shougo didn’t say anything, only huffed and puffed, and Akihito turned towards him to coax some encouraging words out of him. Instead the other boy only grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him into a slow, deep kiss. He tried to push himself away, but Shougo only weaved his right leg around Aki’s left, and held the boy at place. As their bodies pressed together, Akihito could feel the other boy’s slight erection through his swimming trunks.

“Don’t ever do this again,” looked Shougo deep into his eyes as they finally separated, and he still held onto Akihito, “please.”

He finally let go, and swam for his own board kept tightly by one of his friends. He didn’t comment on the happenings, only joked some with Shougo regarding his lifeguard tasks, then they were off towards the coast.

Akihito only started after them, though more leisurely, and he enjoyed the rays of the late-afternoon sun that didn’t burn anymore though still provided warmth. When he got out, he started to shiver from the tiredness and also from the mild breeze that started up, the clouds slowly rolling in from the east. Maybe they would bring some rain after the drought in the past few weeks of summer.

 

They ended up in one of the bars just in the neighbourhood of Akihito’s ward. Though he still lived on the other end of said ward. He still needed to ask for Shougo to give him a ride, and he most probably will ask for something in exchange, maybe something not too ethical.

He already had a beer in him, the content of his jug surprisingly quickly disappeared, and his second one stood already half empty. The alcohol mixed with his physical and mental exhaustion slowly started to fog his mind, and he didn’t even really care anymore how Shougo started to inch closer to him, how his hand rested on Aki’s thigh, crawling further and further up, or how he encouraged his acts by leaning onto the other boy’s shoulder.

Everyone was already drunk, the private table loud with the other guys’ shouts and jokes, their teasing and flirting with the girls from the neighbouring table. And Akihito and Shougo just leant closer and closer to each other, the other boy gently caressing Akihito’s cheek and finally diving in for the kiss.

And in that moment Akihito’s phone rung.

“Mom? What do you want?” he asked irritated as he picked up the call and fought his way out into a more silent environment.

“How do you speak with your mother? You naughty child!” reprimanded his mom, “I can still remember when you were a cute little baby and you could only say how much you “vuvved” mommy.”

Akihito only leant against the wall of the corridor that lead to the toilets.

“Why did you call, mom?” he asked again, “I told you that I’m going out with friends like every other night.”

“Yes you did, however a cute girl just came by searching for you,” his mom explained chitchatting.

“A cute girl? I don’t know any cute girls,” commented Akihito in confusion.

“She’s such a lovely being, I invited her to have dinner with us tomorrow she said she’d consider it,” mused the woman slowly, “I wish you’d bring home these kind of cute girls and then you’d marry them.”

They edged into this topic again: his mother wanting him to marry. Even though his parents knew from the beginning that he was gay, or something like that.

“Mom, please, if that’s all I’m going back,” he answered tiredly, “my beer’s gonna get warm.”

“Oh, yes, I told her which bar you went to so she’ll be there soon I presume,” exclaimed his mom quickly, remembering the main topic.

“Okay, cool, thanks,” rambled Akihito, his pretend-soberness slowly going down the drain.

“I can still remember when you were a nice child not going out with your friends 6 nights on the week! I tell you, the capital ruined you, sweetheart!” his mom spoke, “I regret the day we let you go there fresh out of high school.”

“Well, mom, that is one thing that we can agree on: the capital indeed ruined me.” He sighed, “I’ll be home sometimes, I love you.”

He didn’t wait for an answer only ended the call. He turned around and pushed his hot, burning forehead to the cold, palm tree and pineapple printed wallpaper of the corridor. Yes, he indeed got ruined in the capital, he got loose and got into strange kinks, he let himself be used and abused and then thrown away. He gave his rebellious self up because of some charming smiles and warm embraces. And how he regretted it.

After he got better he just started back to the others, they already on their next round of drinks. He slipped back into the booth next to Shougo, the cheap brown fake-leather sticking to the bare skin of his arms. He took a swig from his already lukewarm beer and turned back towards the boy, waiting for the continuation of their previous act.

“Hey sexy,” smiled Shougo as he weaved his arms around Akihito’s waist and pulled the boy closer to himself, cocking his eyebrow in question.

“Hey,” grinned Akihito.

“Oi, guys! Shots!” screamed someone from the other side of the table, and they could hear the clanking of the shot glasses before them, “Drink up, loverboys!”

Akihito only shook his head, smiling with a silly expression, and he grabbed the one glass in front of him. He downed the shot in the next moment, not even waiting for the others, and the vodka immediately burnt his throat and stomach. He despised the drink more than anything, but he already drank it so whatever.

Shougo also gulped down his drink quickly, and in the next moment he dove into Akihito, kissing the boy so suddenly and vehemently, exploring his mouth with his tongue and not letting a second go to waste. He also let his hands roam, his fingers slowly tracing Akihito’s back and behind, gently kneading the boy’s ass.

“Wow, look at that cute girl!” shouted someone at their table, but they didn’t care. Akihito only sneaked his arms around Shougo’s neck and pulled him closer, his hand buried in the still wet mop of the other boy.

“She’s coming this way, guys, she’s gonna be my wife!” commented one of their friends.

They went on and on, barely coming up for air, Akihito feeling his tongue tire and his mind hazing and dizzying. Shougo’s exploring fingers started to invade the waistband of his pants, slowly teasing just right under the dimples on the boy’s back.

“Excuse me, can you take your tongue out of my friend’s mouth?” asked someone suddenly from their right and Akihito froze as he knew this voice.

“Rina?!” he asked as he pushed Shougo away, trying (filled with panic) to get rid of the evidence that he got anything going on with someone who wasn’t Asami. As he looked at the girl he couldn’t even compare her to the Rina he knew. This girl was so refined: her cute floral dress and flats just the opposite of Rina’s extravagant style and still it was her, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you, Aki-chan, it’s _really_ important,” she said her perfect features distorting into a frown.

“Sorry, as you can see, I’m busy,” answered Akihito rudely and he turned back to Shougo because to be honest Asami broke up with him so he had the right to be with whoever he wanted to be. And yet…

“Akihito, it’s about _the_ issue,” tried Rina again, persistently.

“Well, I don’t give a fuck about the issue anymore,” replied Akihito a bit impatient and he leant in to kiss Shougo again.

“I didn’t want to do this, but…” sighed Rina as she grabbed the back of Akihito’s collar and started to drag him.

However hard Akihito tried he couldn’t fight against Rina’s iron grip and strong jerking. He would have never imagined that the girl had so much power in herself. As they exited the bar, the voices suddenly got cut off and they stood in the middle of the entertainment district where drunken asses walked every direction.

“You can let me go, I won’t run away,” sighed Akihito as he was still dragged after Rina.

“I don’t care, I want to go somewhere silent where we can get rid of your shadows.”

Akihito looked behind him and could see as his new friends filed out from the bar and followed them with interest. They turned the corner then another one, then Rina dragged him into a gay bar and they exited through the back to continue their way to another alley where they could finally speak.

“So, my cousin,” started Rina when they stopped, Akihito leaning against a wall.

“I don’t care, he broke up with me,” hissed Akihito angrily and he turned to leave.

“My cousin loves you, he has a freaking folder in his desk all about you, pictures of you, data and information about you, and he basically knows every step you take, hell, I’m pretty sure his man even counts the number of your breaths to make sure that you aren’t suffering from anything,” sputtered the girl.

“He. Broke. Up. With. Me,” enunciated Akihito each and every word for Rina to understand, “He threw me out with such a farewell that I’m sure he will burn in hell for all eternity after he dies because of it. He’s a prick, an asshole, a douchebag, a twat, a motherfucker, a son of a bitch, an indecent and selfish bastard.”

“Yes, he is, and he loves you.”

Akihito only growled and muttered and mumbled, trying not to attack Rina because she kept bugging him with this idiotic idea of Asami feeling anything towards him.

“No, he doesn’t. The things he said to me, a normal person wouldn’t say it to their loved ones,” he said finally, his mind spinning all over again, his thoughts getting back to that despised Friday morning.

“He’s not a normal person, I’m not even sure if he’s human, I’m certain something’s wrong in his head. He’s a genius but in personal relationships he cannot do anything with himself,” explained Rina quickly, “And he had a reason to chase you out, a really good reason.” 

“Well, then, I’m more than eager to hear that _really good reason_ ,” hummed Akihito.

Rina opened her mouth to start her ramble again, but Akihito held up his hand.

“I want to hear it from him with a heartfelt apology. I want him to struggle, to suffer, to understand how I felt and I want him to beg me on his knees,” grinned Akihito then he weaved his arms in front of him, looking at Rina expectantly.

“He…” started the girl hesitantly.

“He won’t do it, I know. That is the reason I am never ever getting back together with him, because he’d take my presence naturally then break up with me after he got bored with me,” commented the boy pouting.

Rina didn’t answer only looked down the alley deep in thoughts. 

Then she froze.

It was a momentarily change in her stance and yet Akihito could see the whole thing and understood that something wasn’t right. Rina got her phone out of her bag and started to tap on it frantically. She then stepped up to Akihito and pulled him into a kiss while slipping the device into his back pocket.

“3944,” whispered the girl to the dumbfounded Akihito after they separated, “Run, Aki-chan, run,” she grabbed the boy’s shoulder and shoved him towards the other end of the alleyway.

“Rina, what?” looked Akihito back over his shoulder and he could see the creeping shadows from where they entered.

“RUN!” shouted the girl and she shoved one more time at Akihito then she turned around and marched back towards the men edging closer in the alley.

Akihito could still hear her speaking rapidly in a foreign language, and he could pick out some words. She spoke Korean.

“AKIHITO! RUN!” she screamed as she realized that the boy still stood in the middle of the road the alley connected to, “RUN AND HIDE! THEY’RE GONNA GO AFTER YOU!”

And then the first fist flew towards the girl. She evaded it and kicked the attacker in the gut, while keeping her eyes on the others who went against her. They were too many. She couldn’t take that many people. Akihito unconsciously stepped back towards the mob surrounding the girl.

“AKIHITO!! RUN!!” tried Rina again and the first knee hit her delicate body. She whined as two other men grabbed both of her arms and the guy who kicked her only slapped her.

Akihito started towards them almost changing into running when someone grabbed his upper arm and started to pull him towards the crowd tumbling down the street. He tried to get out of the grip, tried to get back to Rina but couldn’t do anything. He looked at his saviour and could see the sun kissed bronze coloured face of Shougo.

“Why did you do it?!” shrieked Akihito as he still fought against the man’s grasp.

“She told you to run, she knew you couldn’t win,” he answered strictly. There was no trace of the kind boy from this afternoon, only this cold someone with the charming face.

“Who are you?” asked Akihito wondering.

“Someone who gets paid quite well to keep your pretty ass safe,” grinned the man, “Though I haven’t got permission to fuck you, but oh well.”

They almost ran back to the bar where Shougo’s bike was parked. They got onto it and without the helmet shot out of the space. Akihito couldn’t really comprehend what just happened. The streetlights and the cars just melted into one as they breezed past, the sounds of the street deafening him, the whole world spinning around him. He realized something: they left Rina behind. They left the girl in the mercy of those bastards.

“Stop the bike,” he said slowly, mostly mumbling to himself.

“Yes?” asked Shougo as he didn’t change the speed.

“I said stop the bike!” shouted Akihito right in the other’s ear.

They started to slow down. Akihito knew where they were. This highway lead to the woods and mountains around the city. They could run and hide there just as Rina said. And yet he understood something. The girl said that they’re going to come after him. That means they’d go to his home as well. They could attack his parents. He needed to stop them.

He didn’t think, only waited for the right moment and when the bike finally stopped he jumped off of it and ran into the traffic. The cars’ horns blasted as he evaded them during the six lanes. He jumped the fence and ran down the sidewalk to the first stairway leading to the normal roads. He was short in time. He knew that Shougo could get him if he stalled. 

They were only a few blocks away from his middle school, so they were approximately 15 blocks from his home. He could run that much. He could get to the woods and check on his parents. He could make a good plan. He could…

And in that moment he realized: he couldn’t do anything because he didn’t even know who the enemy was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohohooo
> 
> The action is ON! The Koreans shown themselves and poor Rina got her ass kicked.
> 
> But Asami to the rescue! At least hopefully he comes to the rescue in the next chappy.
> 
> Also it seems that I stepped onto the cliché landmine, or who knows.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everybody,
> 
> here's the new chapter (I'm sorry, still cliché, but unfortunately I cannot really do anything with this Korean arc - or can I?! we'll see)
> 
> thank you for the comments and kudos and basically i'm so thankful and grateful for your support. I'm glad you all enjoy the story. :)) I love you all so much!!
> 
> Hugs

Akihito never thought that he would actually flee from a fight. And here he ran through the more urban area of Fukuoka, under the dim streetlights. He wanted more than anything to reach the woods around the shrine so that he could check on his home. The fear for his family almost drove him crazy, the desire to protect his loved ones consuming his soul. His conditions currently were not the most preferable ones though: he still felt a little bit tipsy, occasionally tripping on his own feet, and also the cold summer breeze numbed his limbs after a while. Even though he ran he still felt like freezing to the bones, most probably the fear producing phantom symptoms.

He finally could see the trees, their shrouds reaching towards the sky and the blackness of the woods consuming every bit of life from around. He sprinted on the shaky, slippery cobblestones that lead through the gate and leapt into the hedges, aiming for north, the direction of his house.

Running blind in the middle of the night didn’t count as one of his best ideas ever: the thorns and slim twigs from the surrounding flora scratched every bare skin they could reach and torn into the boy’s clothing, ripping the fabric countless times. He remembered that some of the bushes were a bit poisonous but currently couldn’t care less: the mission of checking on his parents took over his every thought and destroyed every reason.

As the woods started to thin he slowed down and edged closer to their house. He hid behind a giant oak tree and peeked out from behind it. He checked the street and could see a big black van parking each end of his street. In the vehicle closer to him he could see the occasional flashing of a cellphone, its owner standing by the driver’s door and smoking a cigarette.

He hid behind the tree again and looked out on the other side, the far away car not really showing any sign of having anybody in it. But it stood there steadily and radiating danger. He could just imagine as some random gang guys invaded his home and captured his parents or worse. He didn’t want to think about it but it was one possibility as well.

He leaned against the tree and pushed his forehead onto the cold bark, the change in temperature taking over his senses. He needed to keep calm. He needed to think rationally. They won’t hurt his parents – why would they? His parents had nothing to do with whatever it was. Hell, even he didn’t have anything to do with it!

And to be honest, why the hell did Rina come for him just to get left behind in a street fight? Rina spoke Korean, so the guys most probably were Koreans, but… The girl also said that they’d come after him. Why? What did he have to do with the Koreans? Nothing. He didn’t even know any Koreans to start with. Never ever interacted with them. He didn’t even talk to the Korean exchange guy in his class during his university courses. Not one time. So why were they there and why would they go after him?

He couldn’t take it anymore, he only slumped down onto his knees and hit the bark with his balled fists a few time. The fact that he didn’t call the cops spot on made him angry with himself. He didn’t even know what happened to Rina after Shougo took him away! Oh and by the way, just who the fuck was Shougo and what was his explanation of getting paid to keep his ass safe? Was he just playing with the boy? He just wanted to fuck him besides getting paid for his protection? The questions just kept popping up in the boy’s mind and he couldn’t take it anymore.

He sat down onto the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest, his arms encircling them. He was in deep shit and he didn’t even know the reasons behind it. His mind raced over the facts again and again, trying to find a little bit of connection, something that could explain what happened, what lead to this scene where he currently acted in, but he couldn’t get anything out of it.

The distant barking of a dog, his dog, piqued his interest again and threw him out of deep sea of his thoughts. He wheezed hard and his heartbeat didn’t seem to calm. He went into panic-mode.

“Oh crap,” he hissed as his throat enclosed and he could hardly breath, “C’mon Aki, don’t get a panic attack!”

He tightly clutched his hands onto his mouth and started to inhale deeply then exhaled. He repeated the act until he could feel the knot easing in his windpipe. He couldn’t let himself go insane and act recklessly. He needed to think about a plan and he needed to do it quickly.

The police! He needed to call the police!

But unfortunately when he reached into his pockets he couldn’t find his phone. He could have sworn that he had it on him, since his mum called him in the bar, but it seemed that he left it there somewhere. Or maybe it just sprang out of his loose pocket when they were running through the streets with Shougo.

He leaned his head against the bark, his hair tangling with the cracks in the it. He couldn’t contact anybody even if he wanted to.

Or so he thought until the absurd rhyme of Nicki Minaj’s _Superbass_ started to play from his back pocket and his left ass cheek started to vibrate with it. He jumped surprised and a bit frightened and pulled out Rina’s device from his pocket. He totally forgot about it in the rush of events that happened in the past 20-30 minutes.

The caller ID said RyRy on the screen and Akihito faintly recognized the number written. He swiped the screen and checked around whether someone heard the obnoxious song in the stillness of the cool summer night.

“What do you want? I’m indeed busy as you said in your text earlier, but you said it’s urgent,” grumbled into the phone the familiar deep baritone that made Akihito almost burst out in tears.

“Asami, oh thank God!” he whined into the phone, a bit chocked.

“Akihito?” came the surprised question from the other side.

“Oh my God,” the boy started to wheeze again and he needed to put the phone away from his face before he cried into it.

“Akihito?? Akihito!!” he heard a bit dim from the device.

The boy needed to wipe his face with the sleeve of his t-shirt because he realized the slow tears rolling slowly down his cheeks. The fact that he cried because of the relief irked him a bit but it wasn’t the time to think about it. Even though he never ever wanted to talk to Asami again, he needed someone to help him and the man was just right there on the other end of the phone. He needed to make compromises.

“Shit,” he sobbed.

“Akihito, are you there?” Asami asked again as Akihito put the device back to his ear.

“Yes, I am here, and shit, I need you now like I never did before,” he rambled quickly and his voice hitched a bit.

“Why do you have my cousin’s phone?” Asami inquired a bit angry and distant.

“She gave it to me, she got into an alley fight and I couldn’t help her and she gave me her phone and told me to run because they were gonna come after me and told me to run and hide and then came this guy and he dragged me away and we left Rina there and I don’t know what happened to her and oh god she also said that they will come after me and maybe if they cannot find me they’ll go after my parents and I’m scared shitless because I don’t even know who they are and what they want and why me and crap… I need to call the cops!”

The silence coming from the other end of the phone was discouraging and threatening; the stillness of Asami’s breath worrisome and driving Akihito into a corner.

“Are you there?” the boy asked slowly, the trace of hope slithering out of him.

“I’m contemplating whether you’re drunk and just rambling, or my cousin really got into danger,” came the tired reply.

“I’m not drunk!” Akihito hissed irritated, though he clasped a hand on his mouth after his loud exclamation, “I was drunk, and maybe I’m still a little bit tipsy, but what I told you really happened!”

Asami only hummed into the phone but didn’t say anything.

“Seriously, aren’t you afraid that something bad could happen to your cousin?” Akihito asked angrily, and he felt like hanging up because he knew a lost case when he saw one. And to be honest he should have already called the cops instead of having idle chitchat with Asami Ryuichi that bastard asshole.

“She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself. You, on the other hand, stealing her phone to stalk me, and then leaving her behind… You’re really low,” commented Asami, and Akihito almost punched the tree because he felt like crying and screaming.

“I didn’t leave her on purpose! They were too many and I wanted to help her but they talked something in Korean and then Rina ordered me to get the fuck out of there, and I didn’t want to, I swear to God, but then Shougo came and dragged me away and told me that we need to go and hide and took me in the direction of the mountains!” rattled out Akihito again, “I’m not so low to get out of a street fight, you should know the best, since you picked me during one.”

“Did you say Korean?” jumped into the conversation Asami again with piqued interest.

“Yes, I did say Koreans,” snorted Akihito, “I’m glad that you got the most important information from what I was just saying.”

“Akihito, get the hell out of there as soon as you can,” changed into and urgent tone the other man, “Where are you now?”

The sudden change in the man’s demeanour surprised Akihito and he only stood up from the ground to peek out from behind the trees. He could see their living room window from his hiding place and the lights were on, flickering, his parents most probably watching TV. Or maybe lying dead on the floor, chocked on their blood.

“I’m…” he started slowly, “I’m in the woods by my house, I needed to see if my parents were okay,” he explained.

“Get out of there,” urged him Asami, and he could hear the faint rustling of clothes from the other side of the call, “Kirishima, have the jet prepared immediately,” Akihito also heard a bit dim, not pointed to him.

“I can’t leave my parents! There are two black vans stationed in my street! There’s no way in hell I’m leaving with these attributes!” he grumbled and heard a car door got slammed with force. He peeked to the vans and could see the smoking driver again, lighting a cigarette.

“Akihito, if they didn’t do anything to your parents yet then they won’t in the future either,” explained Asami.

Akihito could hear as something pinged in the man’s background, something like an elevator. So he already started for him.

“I… I can’t be sure,” stalled the boy, “And I also have no means of transportation to go with.”

“You said there was _that guy_ bringing you to the mountains, where is he?” asked Asami impatiently.

“I…” Akihito started then stopped, ashamed of his behaviour (running away from Shougo) but still feeling righteous to not let his parents suffer because of him while he hid somewhere scared, with his tail between his legs.

“You…?” Asami waited for the remainder of the sentence.

“I ditched him on the highway,” the boy said with one quick breath, “I made him stop, ran through six lanes and disappeared in the neighbourhood.”

“You are such a stupid kitten,” sighed Asami tiredly, “I’ll have him find you in no time just stay where you are.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Akihito dumbfounded.

“You have left your personal bodyguard behind, that was not the wisest decision you have ever made, Akihito,” commented Asami.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” came the shocked and outraged question.

“I am paying high prices to have you kept safe, and you get away from your guardian. You are not the best investment of my life,” explained the man casually.

“You’re fucking kidding me! Why would you have a bodyguard set on me?” demanded the boy, “Did you also pay him to fuck me? Because today he was about to!”

Asami kept quiet for some seconds and Akihito heard him getting into his car and the door closing behind him. So he got to the garage finally and was ready to get to the airport.

“Kirishima, fire the bodyguard,” said Asami to his secretary again, anger colouring his voice, “Akihito, are you still here?”

“Yes, I am,” whispered the boy lowly, “And as I hear you haven’t paid him to fuck me.”

“Akihito, I will be in Fukuoka in 1,5 hours,” the man explained, “I want you to take shelter and don’t move from there until I get there. I can stay on the phone with you until my plane takes off, would you like me to?”

Akihito looked up at the thick branches above him and the leaves that slowly weaved in the light summer breeze. He had so many questions and Asami might as well was able to answer them until he could stay on the phone.

“You had a bodyguard set on me, you got serious when I told you that those men were Koreans and now you’re flying here,” he listed the facts he knew, “What have I gotten into?”

Asami, for some seconds, stayed silent then Akihito could hear him inhaling deeply.

“You don’t need to worry about it,” the man replied firmly finally.

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me? I’m neck deep in shit right now and you tell me not to worry?” shrieked Akihito, “Are you mental? I couldn’t be deeper in this!”

“Akihito if I tell you this: the Korean mafia wants to abduct and, if necessary, kill you, what would you do?” Asami told suddenly, without any emotions whatsoever.

“What the shit?” he froze for a moment, “Are you fucking serious?”

“Yes, Akihito, I am afraid I could not be more serious,” Asami said somewhat down, “You are targeted by the Korean mafia.”

“No way,” Akihito breathed out slowly, “What the fuck does the Korean mafia want with me? I am a nobody; I haven’t interacted with any Koreans ever in my life. Shit, I even hate K-pop!”

“They want nothing to do with you,” replied Asami, “but with me.”

“Pardon my French, but what the fucking bloody hell are you talking about? Who the fuck are you?” Akihito stormed angrily and not less flabbergasted, “Like seriously, I was always genuinely curious but now I will finally know it seems.”

“You are freaking out Akihito, you don’t need to know anything unnecessary,” commented Asami backhanded.

“Basically my life is threatened because of you, but I cannot know exactly why?” Akihito sulked, “You are getting more and more ridiculous. Maybe the Koreans want good for me. Maybe I should just walk up to them and ask what’s up.”

“Akihito, it is no joking matter!” lectured him Asami, “They will kill you if they don’t receive what they want.”

“That is…?”

“The construction contract with the American company I have been dealing with in the past few months,” Asami answered with a sigh, “And the supervision and control of the Korean-Japanese-US trading routes.”

Akihito tried to digest the information but couldn’t really comprehend the information he just heard. What about the trading routes? Why would it be good for the Koreans? And building sites? Aren’t they competing through negotiations with project and whatever? What the hell had Asami do with all this?

“Just who are you?” he asked a bit lost and a lot tired and he felt himself losing all of his strength suddenly, “And how do you come barging into my life and putting me on stake? We don’t even go out anymore! Or, to be honest, based on your farewell speech, I assume, we never even went out to start with.”

“Akihito, I will explain everything to you thoroughly, but right now your safety is the most important factor,” avoided Asami the accusations, “Are you or aren’t you safe right now?”

“I don’t know,” answered Akihito truthfully, “I am in the woods by my house, next to an abandoned shrine. I suppose I can hide here until you get here and get me out of this crap.”

“Then get a good kitten-den where you can burrow yourself into, because I am coming for you,” Asami said, finality echoing in his words.

“You need to hang up,” Akihito assumed.

“I indeed have to soon,” came the uncomfortable agreement.

Akihito felt as the panging took over all of his mind and body and left him speechless.

“Akihito, I am certain that the Koreans know about the woods. They are most probably already leafing through it, so please hide somewhere high and securely hidden and stay there until I call for you,” Asami proposed urgently, “I’ll try to guide the bodyguard to you.”

“I understand,” nodded Akihito and he started into a light jog.

He knew that just behind the shrine there was a wooden house hidden in the canopy of an old, ragged oak tree. Only the ones who knew about it could find it. And he knew about it pretty well since he played through summers there when he was younger. Maybe he could also get some weapons there; he could remember the hammers, screwdrivers and wrenches lying around when he was younger to maintain the place.

“Please, take care, Akihito,” said Asami softly.

“You still like to say my name,” commented the boy, “At least that wasn’t an act it seems.”

They didn’t say anything for some seconds, and Akihito could see the ruined building of the shrine edging closer to him through the trees. He needed to get out to the open and cross through the field in front of or behind the building. Or he could also run through it, but the noises and the cracks of the old floorboard would sell him out.

He stopped by the last line of hedges, peeking out into the open to see whether someone waited for him. He couldn’t hear a single thing: the insects were silent as the grave and the animals haven’t rustle in the bushes either. That meant something was wrong; something or someone scared them.

“They’re here,” he whispered into the phone, Asami still listening on the other side.

Then the rustling started, the rough and hurried shaking of the leaves awoken by humans closing in on him.

“They’re enclosing me,” he commented and he could feel himself start to shake uncontrollably, the adrenalin rush of a chased animal taking over his senses.

“Akihito, they are going to catch you and take you away now,” explained Asami with resignation colouring his voice.

“Not if I am faster,” hissed Akihito and he edged closer and closer to the opening with the shrine, “If I can get out of their sight for ten seconds I’m safe.”

“No, don’t fight them! They are armed!” objected Asami, “I don’t want you bleeding out while being held captive.”

“Don’t worry, I can take care of myself,” he grinned.

Then the first gun got fired.

Akihito, like a scared animal, sprang out from the bushes and decided to go for the shrine. As he took his fifth step out in the open the reflector of jeeps and pick-ups surrounding him flickered into life, and almost blinded him. He couldn’t see anything for a while, and the guns just kept firing at him. As he leapt into the half-open door of the ragged shrine, he could see the bullets flying after him, destroying everything in their way, splinters from the wooden wall flying everywhere.

He realized that he was lying in a hole, on the rubble that was the floorboard of the shrine. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and checked his surroundings. After his eyes adjusted the dark building, he glanced down onto the phone still clutched in his hand, the screen broken from the fall, but the call still connected.

“Akihito! Are you alright?” Asami’s voice came from the device.

He felt the numbing of his right calf, the grogginess slowly taking over his leg muscles then starting to edge waist up. He examined his leg and could see the torn flesh from a grazing bullet.

“I got shot,” he inhaled and exhaled rapidly.

Someone came in after him. More than one person. He somehow managed to stand up, the phone clutched to his chest and he limped towards the inner, backrooms of the building. He could hear his ragged breathing and as he wheezed for air, the bile started to rise up in his throat. He gulped down over and over again, fighting against vomiting and losing himself.

He could hear Asami’s rapid talking sounding from the phone, the monotonous purr easing his mind. The light of the phone also shown him the trail he could go on, his leg starting to numb more and more, weighing onto it sending painful shots all over his body.

“I can’t take it for much more,” he wheezed, hopefully loud enough for Asami to hear, “Please hurry.”

As he finally rattled the sliding backdoor open, he could feel himself falling out from the room. He couldn’t stay upright anymore. With the ground closing in to his face, he just closed his eyes and clutched the phone with both hands, preparing a smooth landing face-first only a second priority.

“Gotcha,” grabbed someone his waist and he survived from face planting the ground.

He knew this voice and was unbelievably grateful for Shougo to be the persistent pest he was. The other boy only got him up on his back, basically giving him a piggyback ride, and he ran through the open between the shrine and the woods, making sure that he covered Akihito from the Koreans. He also had a gun that he occasionally fired, though he mostly had his hands full with Akihito being on his back.

They ran through the hedges, the thorns and branches tearing into them, and Akihito could feel that his leg slowly started to lose all of its feeling and the slowly throbbing pain from his wound. 

Even though Shougo had him on his back, he still was able to run at a considerably good speed, leaving the scene of the shooting behind.

“My leg,” wheezed Akihito, and he felt his face flushing with the adrenalin again.

“I’ll treat it just let’s get out of here as fast as possible,” answered Shougo and he jumped over a big hole in the ground, Akihito heavily slamming against his strong, muscly back.

“I’m… sorry,” whispered the boy and he tightened his grip around Shougo’s upper body, “I shouldn’t… have… left.”

“Indeed you shouldn’t have, but it is what it is,” sighed the other boy and he glanced down, noticing the phone, “Are you talking with the boss?”

“Is he still on?” asked Akihito and he put the phone in front of his face.

Indeed the call was still connected, the counter on it slowly starting its 40th minute. Asami’s plane either did not take off in the air, or he said fuck it and left the call connected for the flight.

“Ryu, it’s okay, Shougo’s here,” he put the phone to his air, whispering into it, “It’s gonna be okay from here on.”

“Akihito, don’t say it until you’re really out of the worst of it,” warned him the man from the other end, “It’s still almost an hour for me to be there. Be careful!”

“No, it’s okay, Shougo’s…” he started but the next thing he knew he got almost deafened by a shot from Shougo’s gun somewhere into the distance.

The answering shots arrived almost immediately, and Shougo suddenly stopped dead in his track and fell to his knees, Akihito’s weigh pushing him down with the help of gravity. They fell right onto their faces, Akihito lying on Shougo’s back, the other boy not moving.

“Shit, shit, shit,” hissed Akihito as he got off from his position, and grabbed Shougo’s shoulder, “Are you okay?”

He pulled him onto his back, and looked into the eyes of the other boy, filled with pain. He got shot right in the stomach, blood bubbling out of his wound rapidly. Akihito dropped the phone from his hand and immediately shed out of his t-shirt, pushing it hard onto the gunshot wound of Shougo. The other boy coughed and wheezed, and tried to slap Akihito’s hands from his wound, motioning him to move away and get to somewhere safe.

“I’m not leaving you,” said Akihito strictly and he could see that Shougo started to sweat hard, the pain and the wound getting the worst of him.

He could hear as the other men closed in around them and he decided right there to surrender himself because Shougo needed treatment and maybe they’ll give it to him if they didn’t fight anymore.

Only some moments later they were already surrounded, like wild animals, guns pointed at them from men in black uniforms. They didn’t dare to let them get away so at least a dozen of them stood around them, most probably trained assassins with the task to capture the boy whatever it takes.

“I’m surrendering, so please give him medical treatment! He’s going to die! Please!” he screamed to the men around him, feeling and (most probably) looking desperate like he never ever has been before.

“We won’t negotiate with Asami’s little whore,” said one of the guys, with a little accent.

“Please, he’s dying!” shrieked Akihito more desperately, “I’ll do anything but please save him!”

The guy only walked up to him, and grabbed his chin with force, making Akihito look up to him.

“You almost slipped out of our grasp, but now we have you and the girl as well,” grinned the man, “let’s go!”

He stepped onto Akihito’s shoulder and kicked him onto the ground, the boy hitting the back of his head hard on the ground. The man only told something to the giant, bald man on his right side and Akihito was already up in the air, the guy putting him onto his shoulder.

“Please! Help him!” screamed Akihito as they started to walk away from Shougo’s shaking body, Akihito’s t-shirt already soaked in his blood on his stomach.

“Oh, we’re helping him,” grinned the man and he said something over his shoulder to the other men, “We’re putting him out of his misery.”

The echoing sound of the gunshot ripped through Akihito and he couldn’t even tell for a moment what happened because he couldn’t understand it. It took him exactly five seconds to comprehend the situation and an inarticulate shout broke out of him, as the men left from around Shougo’s limp body lying so far away from them.

“SHOUGO!”

He struggled against the giants grasp around his waist as he took him away, but couldn’t do anything. Also he couldn’t feel his right leg anymore and the sluggishness took over his mind. He also lost some blood so maybe that was thanks to it. Either way he was lost again, his bodyguard’s and, most importantly, friend’s dead body slowly melting into the darkness of the woods.

 

The drive to the place of his captors was uneventful. They bound his hands together and he also got a blindfold. He could feel the blindfold’s material dampening with his continuously flowing tears as he still couldn’t believe that the men around him murdered Shougo with cold blood.

When they arrive to their destination he only got dragged around and around, his leg wound shooting pain all over his body and not getting any better. Though at least he didn’t have a bullet in his calf to numb it more. They walked down stairs and through tiled corridors and the whole place was dimly lit, and they even got him into an elevator though it was not a normal elevator that he realized. It was most probably a service elevator, based on the wheezing of the lines and the creaking of the mechanics.

They walked him out of the elevator and then stopped.

“So this is Asami’s little slut,” he heard a man talking Japanese, with a weird accent to it.

“I am not his _slut_ , I don’t have anything to do with him,” answered Akihito irked.

“Of course you don’t, you just warm his bed,” said the man and Akihito could hear him walk around him, most probably checking him out from head to toe, “and yet you still seem to be important to him.”

“No, I am definitely not important,” he replied slowly and sadly, “And I never were. He told me flat-out some weeks ago.”

The man only hummed then Akihito felt his cold fingers touching his bare chest. He just remembered in that moment that he had his t-shirt on Shougo’s wound, soaked with the boy’s blood.

“Well, I cannot really understand what he sees in you, he’s some kind of an aberrant, everyone knows in the mafia-circles,” gripped the man his shoulder with force, “But you’re going to be a wonderful bait for us.”

“Are you trying to bait him? You think he’ll come to save me? He couldn’t even care less,” commented Akihito bitterly.

“Well, we will definitely see it,” answered the man with amusement in his tone, “Now let me have you escorted to your super deluxe guest room, Takaba Akihito.”

The man spoke rapidly in Korean then Akihito was already dragged out of the room where they were and they went with the elevator all over again. He sighed and thought about the happenings, thinking about Rina and Shougo, and Asami’s promise that he will come for the boy.

He shouldn’t get his hopes so high up. How could Asami know where they took him and seriously why would he really come for him? Though sure he said that he was coming for him, but still. They weren’t together anymore, and Asami told him his opinion on their relationship or whatever flat-out. Why would he come and rescue someone he didn’t care about anymore? He should just think about a way to get out of the place alone; that would have been the best.

And yet he didn’t want to stop believing. He wanted to truly have his hopes high up that Asami’d come for him. That he’d save him and tell him something cheesy like he needed to break up with him because of the Koreans or whatever. 

Though he wouldn’t forgive him because he said such things that he’d deserve some stabs in the stomach for them. But at least he’d be out of there. Oh and maybe he’d know what the man really does since he evaded the answering so tactfully during their phone call.

While he was so immersed in his thoughts they arrived to his “guest room” evidently, and he got shoved into a room then the door clicked shut behind him. He still had his blindfold on and his hand bound so he only leaned against the wall next to the door and slumped onto the floor, defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah this happened.
> 
> I don't even know anymore.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo Everyone!
> 
> Here's the new chapter of the Korean arc.
> 
> Still cliché, sorry.
> 
> But I hope you'll enjoy anyway :))
> 
> Hugs

Who would have thought that prying open steel doors could be that hectic and ridiculously hard? Especially with bound hands. As Akihito once again leaned against the crowbar like piece of iron pipe from the radiator, he could feel the bruises forming on his side and torso as he hauled himself pretty hard to give force to his makeshift device.

The door didn’t budge. Not even an inch.

He crouched down, and put his face in his hands. Time became such a subjective presence since he waited confined in that tiny little room with no windows or heating for that matter.

Thanking God for being skinny enough he could somehow loop his bound hands from behind has back to the front, and he could get rid of the blindfold, showing the depressing and simple interior of the room he currently resided in. Definitely not a super deluxe guest suite. Not even a 2-star hotel style.

He thought about his current situation, feeling the boiling anger inside him towards the captors and towards the cold blooded murderers who shot Shougo like a plush prize on the summer festival, and also the desperate longing for Asami who may or may not have already arrived to Fukuoka though lost connection with the boy.

Crap, he still could not completely believe the fact that he saw his own friend getting shot to death right in front of his eyes. And another one getting beaten up, being abandoned by him. And himself getting shot in the leg. Everything seemed so crazy and surreal: maybe he only got Punk’d. Maybe Ashton Kutcher would blast through the door any minute laughing and telling him that they got him. Or who the hell knew. Maybe he was about to be killed himself as well.

Thinking of the past few hours, the happenings were so absurd and so out of his world. And it seemed these kinds of events were so in in Asami’s life, the man casually telling him that he had been targeted by the Korean mafia because he went out with Asami. Who, by the way, still didn’t confess what the hell he did or what his business was or, hell, who the fuck he was.

“I’m going to fucking kill him if I ever see him again,” Akihito hissed as he reached for the pipe again, and wedged its thinner end between the doorframe and the door. He let his whole body weight onto the pipe but the door still didn’t budge a bit. He started to get desperate.

What if Asami didn’t come? What if he decided that the boy wasn’t that important? Well, he wasn’t important after their break up that was certain, but still Asami sure would have some sleepless nights if he just left Akihito in this mess. Or maybe not. Akihito didn’t know the man, he couldn’t possible decipher his feelings and thoughts and definitely didn’t know how he would act in the situation. And it irked him to no end.

He basically spent almost three months fawning over the man, getting wrapped around his finger and then thrown out. And he never got any valuable information from the man himself; he usually gathered everything from Rina.

Who, by the way, was more important in the current situation than his estranged cousin who may or may not have been a yakuza member. The guy in the woods told him that they also had the girl, so Rina certainly was in the close vicinity as well, most probably somewhere in the building. Maybe even in the room next door.

He pushed his forehead against the cold metal of the door and an unexpected sob broke out of him. He wanted to go home and wanted this whole thing to end. He grew up in Kyushu, he graduated as a photographer and worked as a barista. He shouldn’t have been there because his world took place so far away from this universe, and he should have never gotten involved in this mess thanks to Asami Ryuichi and Asami Rina.

They should have just left him alone to be his miserable, lonely self who got his pretty little heart broken and maybe get a normal boyfriend who he can go out to the movies and have dinner with, stargazing and whatever normal couples did. Not go to high-class hotels, play in private casinos and getting fucked in elevators. Not getting broken up the cruel way he had parted with Asami. Not getting kidnapped by the Korean mafia. No, neither of those: just a fucking normal relationship with cuddles and kisses and sex and the security and calmness.

“Oh crap, I’m gonna get depressed,” breathed the boy against the door but in the next moment he could hear a faint thud from the other side of the metal.

He pushed his ear against the door and tried to listen, tried to concentrate to the happenings outside, maybe the rescue team coming for him.

He could hear muffled talking and thudding and crunching, the occasional sound of guns with silencers (or maybe he just imagined it all?) and the painful screams of men. The sounds were nearing closer, him only reaching for the pipe still sticking out from between the door and the frame, and holding it like a baseball bat, ready to strike whoever came in the room.

And still, even though he prepared himself mentally to fight his way out of there whatever it took, he still shivered as the clanking from the other side reached him. Somebody tried to open the door with a massive bunch of keys, it sounded.

Akihito only steeled his grip on his weapon and lifted it slightly over his right shoulder, going for a hopefully successful homerun. He should not miss this chance since a little mistake, a misstep, even a not rightly aimed hit could mean his life getting taken.

He closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and waited for the inevitable.

Finally the person on the other side found the right key, and the deafening click of the lock startled Akihito. The doorknob slowly turned and the next moment the door opened up, giving Akihito the right opening.

He stopped dead in his track when he saw who arrived to the room, only inches from his rescuers face.

“Holy shit, you scared me!” shrieked Rina as she eyed the iron pipe only a little distance from her perfect face. Well, her perfect face currently bloomed with purplish-blackish bruises all over, her eyebrow and lip split in more places, her left eye surrounded by an impressive black eye. She limped into the room and Akihito could see that one of her arms hung in a weird angle. In her other hand the girl gripped a gun tightly, her fingers slightly twitching and trembling against the weapon.

“Thank God, you’re okay, Aki-chan,” sighed Rina with relief and she hugged Akihito tight to herself with the arm that held the gun, “I was so afraid what will happen to you.”

“Rina?” the boy asked shocked and he tried to embrace Rina as well. He still had his shackles on so he couldn’t do it very effectively.

“Yep, me in flesh and bone,” grinned the girl.

“Are you okay? You don’t seem so well,” the boy commented and he peeked out onto the corridor from where the girl arrived.

He could see at least half a dozen bodies lying in various angles, most of them having an impressive pool of blood red liquid under them. Then the coppery smell hit his nose and he almost lost it, the nausea getting the best of him. He gulped and gulped and tried to get over the fact that he just looked over six dead bodies.

He glanced back at Rina, whose pretty flower-patterned dress was torn on several places, the nice fabric tainted with red splotches of (most probably) blood. He buried his face into his hands again and started to wheeze heavily, understanding finally the situation and realizing that he indeed was kidnapped and now he might have to kill for his freedom.

“Aki-chan, we don’t have much time,” Rina said as she touched his shoulder with the gun, “Pop me back my shoulder, will you?”

Akihito only nodded slowly but soon realized that his hands were still bound. He held up his hand for Rina to show it. The girl only sighed, dissatisfied and aimed the gun at the thick ropes around Aki’s hands.

“Jesus! You’re not gonna shoot at me with that!” Akihito exclaimed as he hid his hands with his body, “Like seriously, what if you wound me?”

“Then Ryu will cut off my finger, whatever, I need you to have both hands ready,” smirked the girl, “Don’t worry, Suoh taught me how to use these pretties, I’m like a pro,” she spun the gun around her pointing finger.

“Don’t you have a knife or something?” asked Akihito, still afraid.

“Geez, Aki-chan, you’re so not fun,” sighed Rina and she marched out onto the corridor to check the pockets of the dead guards.

Soon enough she disappeared around the corner and in the next moment returned with a butterfly knife. She sashayed back into the room, while playing and doing tricks with the knife, and jabbed the blade right in-between Akihito’s wrists, cutting into the ropes.

When Akihito got his hands back, he unconsciously started to rub the reddish marks around his wrists, the stinging feeling not leaving his skin.

“My shoulder, please,” said Rina and she kneeled down before Akihito.

“How do I do it?” the boy asked a bit terrified, his hands resting on the two sides of Rina’s delicate and soft shoulder.

“No, not like this, you don’t want to make me scream and render me useless,” slapped the girl Akihito’s hands away, “Grab my upper arm and slowly pull it towards yourself, _really_ slowly. I’m gonna shoot you if you jerk or turn it, okay?”

Akihito only grasped around Rina’s thin wrist, also patterned with an irritating red bruise from tightly bound ropes, and slowly pulled towards himself. He could see the pain on the girl’s face, and the occasional hisses did not ease his mind either, but Rina wanted it to be done. When he felt and saw the popping back of the joint, he felt like throwing up again, the disgusting image forever plastered in his mind like a brand.

“Okay, that’s enough pulling, now please help me lift up my lower arm and over my head,” commanded the girl, faintly wheezing from the pain.

Akihito only did as he was told, slowly bending the girl’s arm by the elbow and lifting it up and over her head until another slight pop sounded in the room. He grasped the girl’s wrist again, tightly and prayed for the gods to help them get out of there.

“Aki-chan, did you talk to Ry…?” started Rina, but in the next moment she knocked Akihito off of his feet and shot towards the door.

Akihito did not even realize that they weren’t alone, and the limp body of the guy, with blood oozing from the gunshot wound on his neck, collapsed onto the floor.

And in that moment he let himself go and threw up onto the hard concrete floor. There weren’t much food in his stomach so after a while only the bitter taste of bile invaded his mouth and the smell slowly stained the air in the room.

“Are you okay, Aki-chan?” asked Rina as she crouched next to the boy.

“No, I am not okay, I want to get out of here as soon as it is possible!” shrieked Akihito surprising even himself, “Please tell me this is just a bad dream.”

“Unfortunately not,” sighed Rina and she hugged the boy once more, the coppery smell coming from her dress making Akihito’s stomach make an uncomfortable turn again.

She grabbed the boy’s hand and helped him up from the floor, making sure never to let the door out of her sight. She walked up to the newly dead body and took the gun from it. Also emptied the pockets to find some keys, a knife and a pack of cigarettes. The last one got left behind.

They made their way through the corridor, silently deciding that Rina’d be the leader of the break-out team since she had more experience with guns and killing, and most probably she had already a faint idea how the building was situated.

They finally ended up at an emergency exit that clearly was a door to the stairway. But it was closed. Rina started to dig in her pocket and soon she found the keys that helped her getting Akihito out of his room as well. She started to leaf through the keys, one at a time, to find the one they currently were in the need of.

“So did you talk to Ryu?” asked the girl while she tried to open the lock over and over again.

“He… called you back after your text,” explained Akihito hesitantly. He didn’t want to talk about Asami right now; he just wanted to get out. He could almost grasp freedom.

“Oh yeah, that’s why I sent him a text just to make sure,” smiled the girl over her shoulder, “I mean, I wasn’t sure whether you could remember my pin.”

“So that was 3944?” Akihito asked a bit offended because he wasn’t that stupid not to remember four digits.

“Yep,” nodded the girl, her tongue slipping out of her mouth as she concentrated on the keys.

She went through all of the keys and was disappointed when none of them opened the door. She only huffed and puffed and pushed Akihito back a few steps from the door. She aimed the gun on the lock and doorknob.

“What the hell...?” started Akihito to oppose to her act but in the next moment the hallway filled with the echoing sound of three rapidly fired shots.

Rina kicked the lock and it fell out of place, the door slowly opening up for them. She smiled with satisfaction and beckoned Akihito to follow her to the stairway.

And Akihito more than happily obliged because he felt as the slight summer breeze brushed his skin. Or so he thought. He stepped onto the top of the stairs and leaned over the handrail to see how high they were. Pretty high. He couldn’t see the bottom of the stairway because it got lost in darkness.

He only knew one building in Fukuoka that was in such a state: the old Hyatt hotel building that was destined to be destroyed in the near future. He faintly remembered that they already started to clear up the place, so it explained the room he was confined in, the purity of it and the height of their position. It explained a lot of things actually.

As they descended the stairs their eyes slowly got accustomed to the darkness, their vision helped by the faint green emergency signs placed on every floor. They turned each and every corner carefully, their steps dimmed and their breathing slow and shallow not to make unnecessary echoes.

Then the doors on various floors started to open and slam against the walls, their captors realizing where they disappeared. They came both from the top and the bottom, only leaving them some floors to hide on. 

Rina only shot the lock on the one door they currently stood in front of and shoved Akihito in, the boy clumsily falling onto his ass on the hard, carpeted hallway floor. She then closed the door behind herself and Akihito could hear the echo of her sprinting on the stairs, then the shooting again. Then sprinting and shootign again. And again. And again. Then nothing.

He stood up from the floor and could see the faint green lights showing a way to him, leading him into the belly of the monster one more time. As he jogged through the floor, the gun never leaving his hand, he could feel the slight throbbing radiating from his injured leg again. His adrenalin rush disappeared clearly because he just remembered and felt that he was shot mere hours before.

He stopped in front of a utility closet and listened. He could not hear anyone running after him, so his followers most probably haven’t entered his floor yet. Maybe Rina ran upstairs to get them off of their trail. Maybe she was already dead.

He leaned against the wall and felt the knee of his injured leg buckle. He kneeled down onto the floor and finally started to break down, his balled fists slamming against the carpet, the soft thudding almost deafening in the stillness of the hallway. He leaned against the door and to his surprise he fell right on his back, into the utility closet. The damp air proving the fact that nobody entered the place for the long time, the maids of the hotel using the room way back in time when the hotel was still open.

He stood up and limped into the room, checking the shelves and drawers whether they had something useful in them. He found some clean white shirts, linens on the shelves, cleaning products, some trolleys to carry the stuff with, two vacuum cleaners and seventeen roll of toilet papers. As he dug through one of the drawers he found a torch, and in another one a first aid kit.

“Merry fucking Christmas to me,” he sighed as he slumped down onto the floor.

He clicked the torch on and almost blinded himself because of the sudden light. He scooted towards the door and closed it before he got caught. Leaning against it also seemed to be a good idea, so he pulled the first aid kit right next to himself, bit down onto the torch and pulled his injured calf up to see the damage.

He found a bottle of antiseptic and a packet of gauze so he decided to clean the wound. The stinging feeling made him tear up, the pain and burning almost getting the best of him, then he put some fresh, clean gauze on the opening, still (or again?) slightly oozing blood. He wrapped the whole thing up, and stood up to test whether he dressed his wound too tightly or not.

After he adjusted the tightness, he wandered over the shelves and drawers one more time, deciding to take a shirt, since he still didn’t wear any, his original shirt lying drenched in Shougo’s blood. Remembering his friend, he started to breathe harder again, his blood boiling for revenge and retribution. He felt like taking down the whole Korean mafia by himself, and for the first time during the night he couldn’t really understand why he ran like a scared little bunny.

He tore the door open, gripped his gun and marched out onto the hallway with the goal to shoot everybody who gets up against him. He already had enough for the night and the decision to go all out just struck him as the best idea ever. Because he didn’t give a fuck anymore. And he definitely was not a damsel in distress, waiting for Asami to save his ass and ride into the sunset on his white fucking horse.

As he rounded the corner he heard the shouting of some men coming from the direction he came from. He started into a jog and as he got closer to the stairway he could hear pained wheezing and shouting, gunshots and the echo of ricocheting bullets. Just who the hell were fighting?

He peeked out from behind the corner and saw a slumped figure just some feet away from him. He aimed his torch on the man and clicked it on, seeing the guy’s t-shirt and trousers soaked with blood. He quickly shut off the light and inhaled and exhaled slowly to keep himself under control.

Just how the hell did a dead body get there, and why didn’t hear him die? Somebody planted it there? But why?

He felt the iron grip on his shoulder just a moment later, and his first instinct was to kick back and lunge his elbow towards his attacker’s head. The man only grabbed his elbow and pushed it painfully down, almost dislocating the boy’s shoulder. He got thrown onto the floor, his back hitting the ground with a painful thud that knocked the air out of him. The man, whose face he couldn’t see, sat right onto his abdomen, his weight almost crushing the boy’s ribs, and his hands sneaked around the boy’s neck.

“They wanted to keep you alive and kill you right in front of Asami, but I don’t give a fuck,” wheezed the man as he gripped tighter, crashing Akihito’s windpipe, the burning feeling of his breath flying away making him dizzy and numb. He clawed on the hands of the man, useless, and however hard he wriggled and thrashed himself, he couldn’t get out of the grip. He could see his vision getting swarmed with white spots, violently invading his mind and thoughts, and reality slowly started to slip from his grasp.

The slight shuffling noise only registered in his mind when the grip of his attacker eased, and his limp body fell right onto the boy, almost crushing Akihito under himself. Akihito gathered all of his strength and pushed the dead man off of himself, wheezing painfully, gulping down mouthful of air that still smelt like blood but now it was the most precious thing he could imagine.

He tapped for the gun and torch that he dropped, but couldn’t find it, only touched the nose of a shoe. He looked up and in the next moment he looked right into the blinding light of his torch, the cocking of the gun echoing in the corridor. The man, who was previously presumed dead, now stood right in front of him, and pointed his own (stolen) gun at him. He wanted to kick himself. He wanted to scream and shout and just attack the man like some savage, tearing his throat open with his bare hands and bask in his blood.

But he could only cower in fear as he looked at the face of the man, who was so familiar, the one who followed him in Tokyo, and he finally realized it: he was safe.

The guy, letting the gun finally fall down to his side, only walked past him, and examined the dead body by the torch light, Akihito clearly seeing the knife wedged into the back of his attackers head. His saviour only walked up to the guy, stood on his back ungracefully and pulled the knife out, the wet, sloshing sound of it making Akihito shiver.

“Come with me, Takaba Akihito, I’m getting you out of here,” said the man and he started without waiting for the boy.

“I have never been so grateful for having a stalker,” sighed the boy as he slowly stood up and followed the guy who stomped off into the direction of the slightly ajar door of the stairway. He peeked out and listened, the back of his hand with the gun pushed against Akihito’s chest to make him stop.

They slowly edged out into the dead silence, Akihito seeing traces of blood and lumps of dead bodies, the smell of death embracing and incorporating them. Their slow breathing, their dimmed steps, their rapidly beating hearts all seemed to echo throughout the whole building, but most probably the rhythmical thudding of Akihito’s blood made him think he heard things.

They descended, the guy always a few feet before him, motioning him when to stop and when to follow. 

Akihito, in the weirdest moment, remembered when he played Assassin’s Creed and one of the missions was to escort someone from one place to the other with the same method. He enjoyed the game, his blood boiling and his rage taking over when the escorted person got injured and killed, but right now he could only feel the nervous cold sweat sliding down his back and dampening the waistband of his boxers under the way too big white shirt he had on.

He looked at the wall right next to the door they were just leaving behind and they still had 43 floors to go. They started from pretty high it seems, or maybe his adrenalin rush made him think that they already left at least hundred floors behind with both Rina and this weird man who didn’t say anything, only motioned to him his orders.

The stress of seeing countless dead bodies, the possibility of getting shot at and dying and basically his tiredness almost made him keel over, and he couldn’t help but feel exhausted beyond belief, since he had a pretty long night already.

Usually this was the part where he got ahead of himself and declared that everything was all right, so he only screwed his mouth shut and followed the guy, slowly and steadily descending towards freedom. He couldn’t imagine why there were so many dead bodies lying everywhere, the questions regarding who defeated them and why echoing in his head.

“Rina-sama, I found him,” said the guy suddenly after turning a corner, and Akihito jumped in surprise because of the suddenness of breaking the silence.

“Good, Shiro, thank you,” answered Rina cheerfully, but Akihito couldn’t see her just yet.

He rounded the corner and saw the girl slumped onto the floor, her leg in a weird angle and her shoulders shaking, shivering from something. Akihito crouched down next to her, and examined the girl.

“I got stabbed, don’t worry, I’m not dying,” grinned the girl, though he started to cough heavily.

“Of course you aren’t,” rolled his eyes Akihito and he sat down next to the girl “What happened? Are you okay?”

Rina only leaned her head onto Akihito’s shoulder and closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Her eyelids fluttered occasionally, and Akihito could see a line of smeared blood on her cheek.

“Yep, I’m fine, Shiro and the others got rid of the bad guys,” Rina replied after some minutes, “Ryu is here somewhere as well.”

Akihito felt the hard pang in his heart, thinking that Asami was just somewhere in this building, maybe looking for him.

“By the way, Shiro, where _is_ he exactly?” the girl asked, opening her eyes and strictly gazing at the big guy standing before them.

“When we entered the building, we did not know whether Takaba-sama was safe or not, so he obeyed to the requests and agreed to meet with the leader on the top floor by himself, without any weapons. We really did not count on you, Rina-sama, to break Takaba-sama out,” explained the guy and Akihito felt himself freeze.

“That love-sick idiot, they’re gonna get him hard if he really didn’t bring any weapons,” shook her head Rina and she rolled her neck, resting her head against the wall instead of Akihito’s shoulder, “Hyeonjoon Dai isn’t one to take lightly.”

Akihito didn’t say anything.

“Rina-sama, please, let me carry you to safety,” said Shiro suddenly, “Takaba-sama, I presume you are able to walk with us.”

The boy only nodded and he slowly stood up, waiting for Shiro to pick Rina up princess style. She weaved her arms around the man’s shoulder and they slowly started down the stairs, not paying attention anymore to make as little noise as they could.

“Hey, Akihito, don’t blame yourself, he was the one who fucked it up,” said Rina over Shiro’s shoulder, seeing Akihito’s disturbed expression, “He’s an idiot and needs to talk with his playing pals. You know the territories and whatever.”

Akihito nodded a few times, not really paying attention to Rina. Even though Asami was the root of all evil in this situation, the boy still was responsible because he got captured, leaving behind Shougo. And by the way he still had his revenge against the whole bunch of Koreans because of Shougo and Rina and himself.

He could clearly see the gun placed into the back of Shiro’s pants, the hilt just hanging right above his belt. He took a deep breath and reached for it, yanking it out from its place. He turned on his heels and ran past Shiro and Rina, gaining advantage on them, leaving them behind.

“AKI-CHAN!!” screamed Rina as she lost sight of the boy behind the next corner. Her voice echoed throughout the whole stairway.

Akihito, after seven floors, entered the current hallway and ran in the direction of the elevators. He remembered walking past them in his own hiding floor and right now he was in need of them. So he couldn’t find them and got lost on the floor. He needed every precious advantage he had on the others because maybe Shiro would come for him and drag him out, leaving Asami behind. And he already left one Asami behind during the night.

Finally he could see the familiar doors through the darkness, the light, showing the number of the current floor where the cabin was, hurting his eyes. It was on PH. Penthouse. What a ridiculously lame floor name in an elegant, prestigious hotel.

He pushed the call button and waited, fidgeting uncomfortably. Maybe he could have grabbed more weapons. They could use anything in this situation.

And why was he exactly aiming to walk right into the devil’s den? What was Asami Ryuichi to him? He only got into trouble because of that bastard, the man using him and then throwing him away, and because of their slight involvement he got beaten up, kidnapped, emotionally and mentally traumatized and basically alienated from everyone unknown.

He shouldn’t have gone there. He should have just got out of there and live his life not caring what happened to Asami and his entourage anymore.

And yet, when the elevator arrived, he stepped into the cabin willingly, and pushed the button for the penthouse floor. He fidgeted and nervously started to bite his lips, the dry skin tearing open easily. He realized that he was thirsty and dirty and a mess. He unconsciously thought that he didn’t want to show himself before Asami like this because he still hoped for something. He hoped that the man might change his mind when he sees Akihito again and they could get back together (of course after some begging and atoning from the other man’s side).

“Fucking hell,” he hissed as he looked at the display that shown where he was currently.

He still had almost half of the remaining floors.

To ease his nervous mind, he started to walk around and around, his mind wandering towards Asami, the excitement of seeing the man again getting the best of him. He thought about what the man wore, any tight fitting suit perfectly embracing the muscly body, and the gaze in his eyes that one second can melt the Antarctica then in the next froze hell. The graceful way the man carried himself, and the proud and discreet façade he always wore.

He definitely won’t be happy when he sees the boy, diving into the shark tank with a gunshot wound on his calf, and only a gun on him that has questionable amount of bullets in it.

Shit, he fucked it up. He should have turned back in that exact moment, leaving Asami to deal with his pals, as Rina has said.

But in that moment the elevator stopped and the door opened with an obnoxious ringing sound. As the huge penthouse opened up before his eyes, Akihito only could stare in awe because the place was magnificently luxurious and not less fancy. He definitely would live in a place like this as well.

_Great, I have the same taste as the Korean mafia._

He stepped out of the elevator, feeling poorly underdressed for the occasion, and started deeper into the flat. His hand tightly clutched around the hilt of the gun, he wandered further and further away from the safety of the elevator, the doors of the cabin still open, calling out to him to get back into its warm, calm embrace and run away. But he already decided that he wouldn’t run.

“I see our special guest arrived as well,” heard Akihito from his right, down a corridor.

He started towards the door and, when he stood only a few steps away, the door opened and he looked at a guy in neat suit sitting in a big leather chair behind a mahogany desk. He had a cigar in one hand, the other rested on the table, showing he was not armed.

Akihito also recognized Asami’s back, the man standing right by the table, facing the guy in the suit. His back muscles were contracted, Akihito could see because Asami didn’t have his suit jacket on, the holsters above his waistcoat hanging empty.

“Welcome, Takaba Akihito,” smiled the Korean guy jovially, and in that moment Asami’s head whipped back, his eyes radiating disbelief and some kind of a slight panic, though he composed himself pretty quickly.

The guy in the leather chair butted his cigar then clapped his hand happily and excited, shooing his man away from around him.

“Let’s get this party started!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun!!!!
> 
> So how they will get out of this mess? Who knows!
> 
> Anyways, the next chapter is the climax for the Korean arc and we also move back to Tokyo to start the "Grovel and atone for your hurtful break-up you bastard" arc (this is a working title :DD).
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :333


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Sweeties!
> 
> Here's the new chapter and we'll see how Aki and Ryu get out of the mess they are in hooray!
> 
> And I also took the liberty to get back towards the romcom direction.
> 
> Have fun reading!
> 
> Hugs

The finality of the closing door made him feel nauseous. Some of the men left the room, probably to stand guard, but there were still six of them stationed in the room, mainly in strategic points. They kept their hands close to their guns, either strapped to their belts or in similar holsters as Asami’s.

That Asami’s who currently tried to burn a hole into Akihito’s skull with his intense staring. The boy could feel the harbouring emotions in the man’s cold gaze, him probably not the biggest fan of the boy returning to the scene of the crime. Basically he gave himself up to the Koreans to save the boy and now it proved to be a worthless effort since they were back to square one.

Akihito uncomfortably fidgeted, his hand still clutched tightly around the hilt of the gun, the metal already hot to the touch. Nobody seemed to care about him being armed and maybe he could have used it to his advantage. Though most probably he wouldn’t be able to fire the gun, not to mention wounding or killing someone. He definitely hadn’t had that in him. Beating someone to a bloody pulp: yes, he could do that any time of the day, but shooting someone, that was a whole another matter at hand.

He glanced around the room, the elegant furniture lining the walls made from mahogany shined dimly in the light coming from the lamps scattered around the floor. His eyes wandered towards the huge French window behind the mahogany desk and leather chair, outside the pitch black darkness melted into the sea and swallowed up everything, only a select few ships blinking sluggishly like bright stars on the water. After calming himself, he finally looked at Asami again, who stood only a few feet away from him and yet it felt like they were on two different planets. The man rested his right hand on the cushion of the armchair standing next to him, though his fingers slightly twitched.

“I am terribly sorry because of my behaviour a few hours prior,” the Korean man started, tearing Akihito out from amongst his wandering thoughts, “I know it is common courtesy to introduce ourselves officially when we meet the first time, and I definitely forgot to do it. Though Japanese costumes are so bothersome, but I know that when in Rome do as the Romans do so, please, Takaba Akihito-san, forgive my rudeness.”

Akihito slowly turned his head towards the man and could feel his trademark confused expression forming on his face. Why would this guy apologize to him because he didn’t introduce himself? He basically kidnapped him and held him captive, besides having his friends beaten up and shot to death. Why does he need to do such a show?

“I… don’t really care who you are,” Akihito said finally, slowly considering every word that left his mouth, “I am more concerned about what is about to happen from now on.”

The boy glanced at Asami from the corner of his eyes and he could see the faint smirk forming on the man’s face, his amusement from the boy’s cheeky answer evident.

“Oh, but Takaba-san, I don’t intend to be rude when I am on Japanese soil, meeting with Japanese men,” the Korean answered jovially, smiling irritatingly.

“And I tell you frankly, that you are very rude since you stalked me and had me followed, had my friend, who is a girl, beaten up, had my other friend shot dead. Oh, and of course you had me kidnapped. I think that all of your acts towards me count as impeccably rude,” countered the boy, somehow finding his voice along the way.

“Oh my, you are such a fascinating creature, I can truly understand why Asami-sama would be interested in you,” the man commented as he cocked his head to the side, “However I still want to set up the basics, so, please allow me to introduce myself.”

The man suddenly kicked his chair back and stood up straight, marching over the Akihito. The boy jumped in surprise when one of the surprisingly warm hands clutched his shoulder, while the other remained held out in his direction. The man wanted to shake hands.

He glanced at the man then back at the hand. His frown almost tore his face in two because of the absurdity of the situation. He glanced questioningly over the man’s shoulder at Asami, who slightly nodded in his direction, agreeing him to shake the man’s hand.

He slowly took the gun into his left hand and reached for the other man’s right, weakly gripping it. The answering squeeze’s gentleness surprised him, the fine, warm and soft hand somehow easing his worries.

“I am Hyeonjoon Dai, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the Korean said cheerfully, “Please take care of me from now on, or how is it that you say it in Japan.”

“Takaba Akihito,” answered the boy slowly, “but you knew it already.”

The handshake, just as suddenly as it started, ended and Hyeonjoon Dai sashayed back to his place to plop into the expensive chair. He swung his legs onto the table and glanced between Asami and Akihito repeatedly.

“So, Takaba-san, why did you decide to grace us with your presence even though you were on the verge of freedom not so long ago?” asked the man suddenly, and Akihito almost crumbled under Asami’s scrutinizing gaze, who joined in in their interaction finally.

“Indeed, I, myself, am so curious of the reason as well, Akihito,” smiled Asami sweetly at the boy. Akihito knew that the man could have fucked him into oblivion as a punishment for his reckless act.

“Uuum, I…” started Akihito slowly, gathering his thoughts and reasons, “I came back to…” he stopped for a few seconds to steel himself, “I came back to volunteer as a tribute in place of Asami.”

The silence in the room suddenly turned deafening, both Hyeonjoon Dai and Asami looking at him like some kind of a different life form. Yeah, maybe his choice of words was not the best, but he indeed came to… do something. Yeah, definitely.

“Akihito, this isn’t the Hunger Games,” Asami deadpanned finally, “And even if it were I’d have higher chances of survival than you.”

“Yes, because you are the freaking mafia and you are used to situations like this,” countered Akihito bitterly, “Cut me some slack, will you? I could have left you here and lived my life more or less the same as before, but no, I decided to come back for you. And you don’t even deserve it after the way you spoke to me the last time we were face to face.”

“Oh, I feel like some lovers’ quarrel is brewing in the air,” commented the Korean man with amusement, “But, Takaba Akihito, what do you think, why have you been held here captive in the first place? Whose fault was it?”

“It was his fault, because I got involved with him in a slight fling and you decided that I would be a great target to coax something out of him. Well, newsflash, as I have already mentioned, I don’t have anything going on with him and I have never meant anything to him,” finished his rant Akihito bitterly.

“Uhum, this indeed is an interesting theory,” Hyeonjoon Dai grinned with satisfaction, “However, he still agreed to meet me unarmed and alone in exchange for your safety. It doesn’t seem to me that he doesn’t care about you. Or do you think differently?”

Akihito only glanced at Asami, a panging feeling pulsating in his heart, making him hard to breathe. He indeed hoped that Asami would think positively of him, that he indeed had some feelings for the boy, however his hurtful words just proved otherwise. Though he didn’t need to think about such things just now, he shouldn’t have driven himself into a corner before they were out of the grasp of the Koreans. Maybe afterwards they could talk it out or… maybe just forget about each other and break every connection they have ever had. Probably that would have been the best to do, and yet…

“You have not heard what he told me, how he chased me out of his home. Those hurtful and disgusting words, the meanings behind them, they are all proof that he only thinks of me like some kind of a slave, some kind of a lesser creature. After hearing those things, I don’t really think that he would have a soft spot for me in his heart or wherever. I am most certain that he is scheming something and, in the end, we are all only his pawns in this complicated game of chess."

“Oh I don’t doubt the possibility of him planning some things but, on the other hand, we have you, both of you here as the honoured guests of the evening. I think we will be able to work something out,” answered Dai casually and he pointed to Akihito first then to Asami, “We are going to have some fun.”

Akihito tiredly sighed and rolled his eyes to show his anticipation for said fun. He could not care less about the Koreans and the fun they planned and basically the trade routes and the American contracts, but here he was still in this whole mess because of these kinds of things. He felt so old for this and so out of this, and also the thought that people would do anything for money disgusted him to no end.

“However, if you want to walk out of here, both of you alive, I have a proposition for you two,” Dai spoke suddenly, and it piqued Akihito’s interest immensely since he came back in hopes of both Asami and him walking out of the place alive.

“And what would it be?” asked Asami, his composure also crumbling a little, his mild interest showing on his face, “I am certain that something unethical and immoral, as your usual proposals.”

The Korean grinned and reached into his suit jacket pocket to fish a pack of cigarettes out of it. He hit the box rhythmically until a single fag lifted out from the bunch.

“Oh, you know me so well, Ryuichi, I am surprised how transparent I became to you,” the man shook his head and he leaned forward onto the table, eyeing Asami and Akihito from below, “I admit, I played around with the thought that I’ll make you fuck him right in front of me and my men in this room, but then I remembered that I am not a fucking faggot so it would only disgust me. Or maybe turn me into one of the aberrant like you, and I definitely want to enjoy pussy more than you enjoy dipping your dick into assholes, so then I passed up the idea.”

“I would like to express my gratitude towards your thoughtfulness, and also I am grateful that you finally gave up your sophisticated speech since it’s so out of your character. Though you tried hard, so I can only imagine that you wanted to charm Akihito, which leads me to the conclusion that maybe you wouldn’t mind becoming an aberrant faggot for this boy here,” countered Asami.

“Are you fucking serious now?!” stormed Akihito irritated, his insides a big ball of nervousness just squeezing his windpipe almost shut, “Don’t taunt him when he was just about to give us an opt out, you idiot! I don’t know about you, but I want to live longer and not die in this crumbling hotel because you couldn’t shut your mouth, you asshole!”

Asami glanced at Akihito from the corner of his eyes and the boy only gave him a stern look in return, weaving his hands in front of himself and frowning. He almost already forgot about the gun he held onto tightly from the beginning of this absurd interaction.

“Oh, I can see who wore the pants in this relationship, maybe you were the one getting fucked, Ryuichi,” laughed Dai wholeheartedly, “Now I’m really sad that I decided not to make you two fuck.”

Akihito rolled his eyes impatiently, and took a firm step forward, surprising not only the guards around but also himself. He could feel two or three guns pointed at him suddenly, and he stopped dead in his track, holding up his hands in the air, surrendering.

“Please, can we talk about your proposal? You know, the one that could get us out of here alive and everything?” pleaded the boy, trying to control his voice not to turn hysterical.

“Oh, after Ryuichi’s counter strike I thought you were not interested and wanted to die together romantically like Romeo and Juliet,” cocked his head to the right Hyeonjoon Dai, “It seems I thought wrong.”

“Indeed you did, though I start to think that I don’t really care whether he lives or dies because he generates unnecessary fights. But I really want to get out of here alive, and hopefully everything in me intact,” explained the boy, not glancing at Asami who stared at him with an unreadable expression.

“Well then, Ryuichi, would you care to provide an opt out for your sweetheart?”

“I’m not hi…” started Akihito to correct the man but Asami’s “ _I do_ ” made him shut up.

“Oh so, he’s indeed your sweetheart,” hummed the Korean and he finally lit up the cigarette he took out of his pack seemingly so long ago, “It was a long discussion to get it out of you, but it was worth every moment of it. And look at that cute boy questioning his whole existence thanks to you.”

Akihito didn’t even realize that he only fixated one spot on the desk and blinked hundred times per second because of Asami’s so simple words and agreement to provide an opt out for them to save the boy’s life. His sweetheart. Disgusting word but oh well. Okay, not the man said it but…

“Akihito,” started Asami and he took a hesitant step towards the boy.

Holding up his hand to stop the man only was a reflex from his side, but it was effective since Asami stopped, one of his hands reaching towards Akihito, the other awkwardly frozen mid-air. It couldn’t have been true but it seemed that he started for a hug.

_Oh God, how thankful I am that it didn’t happen. I would have broken down if he did it._

He still didn’t glance at Asami, but instead directed his eyes to Hyeonjoon Dai and cocked his eyebrow in question.

“So what is this opt out?” he asked sternly.

“Oh yeah, that,” shook his head the Korean man, and Akihito also could hear as Asami positioned himself back to his stance next to the armchair.

“Yes?” Asami inquired as well, his composure and façade back to his normal unreadable and distant one.

“My proposal is the following: I still receive the supervision of the trade routes and the contracts as originally negotiated,” grinned the man towards Asami, “but since you are here I can’t just let you go like this. So I’d like one of you to shoot the other.”

Akihito whipped his head in Asami’s direction then back at Hyeonjoon Dai.

“What? I won’t shoot him!” he exclaimed with utter shock.

“Akihito, do as he told you to,” sighed Asami and he held up his hands in the air in surrender, “Then we can get out of here sooner.”

“I won’t fucking shoot you! You can’t expect me to do it!” shrieked Akihito in desperation. Asami sure didn’t want him to shoot him and wound him because even he, himself, didn’t want to do it, however rightfully Asami would have deserved it.

“Then would you rather be shot, Akihito?” asked Asami sternly, his eyes digging deep into Akihito’s soul.

“No?! I’d rather nobody got shot,” he shook his head in disbelief, “You won’t make me fire this gun!”

“Well, unfortunately it is not an option,” wedged himself into their conversation Dai with palpable amusement, “You either shoot him or he shoots you. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a fatal wound, it just needs to bleed pretty.”

“Is this some kind of fetish of yours? Are you getting aroused from gunshot wounds and blood?” taunted him Asami bitterly.

“I wonder,” mused Dai and he butted his cigarette on the shiny surface of his desk.

“You are crazy! The both of you! I won’t shoot anybody!” Akihito objected one more time to the proposal.

“Then my men will shoot the both of you… to death,” came the simple reply.

Akihito’s eyes widened and he felt his nervousness returning full force, his fear of being murdered vivid in front of his eyes. He looked at Asami, terrified, and could see the slow nod of the man.

“I’ll do it.”

“Perfect, Takaba-san,” clapped Dai a few times, “Then please do.”

“Wait! I need to prepare myself mentally!” protested the boy hurriedly, “Just a few minutes please.”

“No can do, my time is just as precious as Asami-sama’s.”

Akihito lifted the gun in his left hand, gripped it with his right as well, and aimed square to Asami’s chest, just between the pecs that could be seen even through the white linen of his shirt and black waistcoat that covered the area. He looked into Asami’s eyes, the man surprisingly looking pretty calm, and felt his breath hitching and his panic attack returning to him. Maybe he shouldn’t have shot Asami in the chest. He could clumsily make a fatal wound and then kill the man. He would never survive it.

He aimed his gun lower, towards the stomach, but then he remembered the liver, the kidneys and the other intestines whose wound would kill a man instantly. So he let the gun lower and he aimed right on the man’s magnificent shaft, hidden in the soft wool suit pants and Calvin Klein boxer briefs. Shooting off the man’s manhood would be too cruel. Sure, he said some hurtful things but making him unable to fuck like a champion for the rest of his life, he couldn’t do it just like that.

“Takaba-san, we are waiting,” commented Dai impatiently and Akihito wandered back to his original direction, the torso of the man.

“I suppose shoulders bleed prettily?” he asked, slightly turning his head towards the Korean.

“Indeed they do, however I can see that you are aiming for something non-lethal, so make sure you won’t bust his artery or he will bleed out around the 47th floor. If you go for the stairs I suppose you need to have a heartfelt goodbye around the 83rd.”

Akihito felt himself getting paler and paler, because he realized that an amateur mistake could cause Asami’s death by his hands exclusively. Sure he wanted some sort of revenge but never wished for the death of the man. And he definitely did not want to kill him.

“Akihito,” said Asami soothingly and the boy looked at him again. Asami only nodded slowly, and a faint smile formed on his charming face. “ _You can do it, don’t worry_ ” that’s what that smile said.

One more deep breath filled his lungs as he prepared himself for pulling the trigger, hoping that Asami could position himself so he evades the bullet with everything fragile. He exhaled slowly and squeezed the hilt of the gun, his finger twitching on the trigger.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled defeated as he pulled the trigger.

And nothing happened. Because he couldn’t even pull the trigger. Because the safety wasn’t turned off.

At first the boy didn’t know whose sigh of relief echoed in the room but he supposed it was his own. He let his left hand fall to his side, still holding the gun.

“It’s broken,” he said without any emotions.

“No it’s not, you just need to turn off safety,” rolled his eyes the Korean and he leaned back into his chair, “Please, don’t waste my time with such lame stunts.”

Akihito looked at Asami, who seemed to be fairly more entertained than he ought to be in the situation. They shared a knowing glance then Asami made his faint smirk disappear and took up his business composure. He beckoned towards himself, though the movement was so little that Akihito almost couldn’t see it and wasn’t sure whether he really saw it or not.

“So, I need to turn off the safety?” asked Akihito slowly, “How do I do that?” he asked innocently.

“There’s that switch on the side, you slide it and it should be okay,” explained Asami patiently, eyeing the gun in Akihito’s hand.

“This one?” asked the boy, still playing stupid, and he pushed the button on the right side, making the magazine slip out of the gun and falling onto the floor, “Oh shit!”

He gathered the fallen item and made sure to show Asami how many bullets were still in there. Exactly eight: one more than the people that needed to be shot in this room. He put the magazine back and aimed the gun at the man again, finding the safety switch on the back of the hilt, waiting for him to use it.

“C’mon, I can’t believe you have never fired a gun in your boring life,” nagged him Dai irritated.

“Well, to be completely honest, it wasn’t part of the curriculum at the university, especially not for photographers,” countered Akihito somewhat apologetically.

“You’re cheeky, I like it, but I still don’t have time so chop chop!”

“So I slide this and it’s okay?” he shown the gun to Asami who only nodded.

“It’s not rocket science!” exclaimed angrily the Korean, “Look!”

He flipped a gun out of his own hidden holster, clicked the safety, aimed and shot at a painting on the opposite wall, the bullet whooshing through the air just a few inches from Asami’s face.

“Jesus!” squeaked Akihito because this little movement proved him that the Korean could shoot him precisely anytime he wants to.

The gun got lifted up into the air again, it aiming for Asami’s left shoulder but his thumb still lingered above the switch, not wanting to deactivate it. Asami faintly nodded and Akihito knew that it was either sink or swim depending on the next few moments.

“So I do this…?” he started and he clicked the switch, then he was already falling onto his knees to the expensive carpet while the gun flew towards Asami in the air.

The next few seconds somehow passed, he couldn’t even remember what happened, but the next thing he knew, Asami grabbed his right wrist and pulled him up to stand. Akihito didn’t dare to look around the room, the smell of blood already filling his nose, but he unconsciously saw the red splotches all over the expensive greenish wallpaper. 

“I’m going to be sick,” he wheezed as he pressed his palms onto his mouth to save him from throwing up.

“You have time for it later, we need to get out of here, he still has man stationed in the whole floor,” explained Asami and he squatted next to the dead men to get their guns from themselves. He threw one at Akihito, “The switch’s the same.”

“I’m not an idiot, I know safety switches, I just wanted to stall a bit!” he argued.

“Sure,” smirked Asami, “now let’s go, sweetheart.”

“I’m nobody’s sweetheart, especially not yours!” exclaimed Akihito and now he felt like shooting Asami.

“Come on, Akihito, we need to go,” grabbed his arm the man again and he started to pull him after himself.

They sneaked out of the room, Asami checking the premises for someone to shoot, and then they were hurrying through the empty corridor, Akihito hoping more than anything not to meet anybody else.

Oh, wishful thinking.

As they entered the main hall, they got shot at from the loft, and they scurried into the safety of an expensive marble pillar, shielding them from the bullets perfectly. Asami seemed to be a good shot, but he still had some issues, mainly the lack of bullets.

“Akihito, would you mind?” he asked the boy as he ducked back behind the column.

“Would I mind what, pray tell me?” argued Akihito.

“Shooting?” grumbled Asami and a bullet hit the side of the column just right, making debris and dust flying in the air.

“I don’t want to waste bullets, you are the trained assassin! Do your thing or whatever,” he countered.

Akihito’s ear perked up when he heard the ding of the elevator and after Asami’s men swarmed the place, the whole event ended.

 

The hot water washed away all of the day’s sweat and dirt and eased his painful muscles and his mind. He washed his hair with gratitude and gave himself up to the warmness reviving him from his stupor.

“Akihito, if you are ready, please help me set the table!” his mom knocked on the bathroom door and he unconsciously jumped a little in surprise. He still couldn’t believe that he was safe.

“Sure, mom, just a second!” he answered and rinsed his hair.

He arrived back home around 5:30 am, his parents still asleep, the sun already risen and blinding him. Asami dropped him off without any further explanation and drove off without looking back.

_Tell me something about “I will explain it to you personally”._

He towelled himself dry and dressed, leaving his wet hair hanging all around his face. It was his third shower during the day: having one immediately after he arrived home, then he went to sleep and had a nightmare so he showered the cold sweat away, and he also played with the dog in the afternoon so he needed to take another one. And also his mother told him to get presentable since the cute girl accepted their dinner invitation.

The cute girl who got stabbed, beaten up and couldn’t even walk by herself. How will she convince his parents that everything’s ok?

He wandered down to the kitchen and smelled the lovely home made dishes, him almost drooling all over the counter. He loved his mother’s cooking more than anything, and he thanked God that he could still enjoy her cooking after the day’s happenings.

Of course, since they were expecting a prominent guest, they needed to get the fancy tableware out from the attic, and also had the silver cutlery prepared. Because Akihito would _definitely_ marry Rina, and they wanted to charm her.

He laid the table, putting everything fancily in its place, preparing different kind of wine glasses and whatnot, and he already had enough for the day. He had a long 24 hours behind him and he didn’t need any more inconveniences, and his parents trying to hook him up with Rina was a big inconvenience.

He sighed and started to carry the trays out of the kitchen when the doorbell rung. He didn’t care, only continued to carry the food because he wanted to stall the meeting with the ruined girl as long as possible.

“Oh, please, come into the dining room, Akihito’s already preparing,” he heard his mother’s chatty, charmed voice.

“Thank you,” echoed Rina’s bubby voice in the corridor.

Akihito only turned and picked up the ice bucket for the champagne, carrying it to the dining room as well.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked as he walked into the room, but when he faced the people in the room he dropped the bucket onto the floor, the ice flooding the floor in the close vicinity.

While Rina sat by the table and poured some water to herself, Asami, that smug bastard, only walked around the room, checking the family photos on the counters and the books on the shelves and the photos on the walls and everything.

“What the hell are _you_ doing in my house?” shrieked Akihito, surprising even himself.

“Oh, Akihito, don’t be so rude to our guests, though I suppose that you know each other with Asami-san as well,” walked his mom into the room, carrying two bottles of expensive champagne in her hands, “What did you do with the ice? Clean it up immediately! The floorboard will soak it in and it will get bumpy!”

Akihito, without a word turned on his heels and scurried back into the kitchen, wishing that Asami’s presence was just a delusion of his and the man in reality wasn’t about to have dinner with them in Akihito’s own family home.

_I need to get him out of here before he invades my only safe place in this world._

“You were a cute kid, almost cuter than now,” he heard Asami’s chatty voice behind himself as he went to fetch the broom and dustpan.

“Get the hell out of my house, you bastard!” hissed Akihito as he turned back towards the man, steeling his nerves.

“Even though your mum invited me to join you for dinner you would throw me out?” Asami asked interested, his head cocked slightly to the left.

“Without a second thought,” replied Akihito not even skipping a beat.

“Well, that’s a shame, because I came to take you back,” commented the man and he walked around the kitchen, dipping his finger into one of the saucepans and tasting it, “Delicious.”

“You came to take me back? Are you serious? Do you even remember the things you told me?” Akihito countered feeling his head getting hot, his memories of the break-up surfacing.

“Of course I do, but it was necessary in order to protect you,” answered the man leisurely, “And look you still got fetched by the Koreans and needed to be saved.”

“Yeah, thank God you were there to massacre two dozen mafia members singlehandedly,” mumbled Akihito bitterly, “Seriously, what do you want?”

Asami only looked at the boy with a undistinguishable expression then in the next moment Akihito found himself pushed up against their fridge, Asami’s tongue already invading his mouth and that cunning bastard already taking over all of his thoughts and senses.

“Don’t send me away, Akihito, I own you, don’t forget it,” whispered the man in his ear and he started to nibble on his earlobe, while his hands explored the boy’s body through his thin clothes.

“Hold the fuck up, you bastard,” wheezed Akihito, as he fought with the pleasure and the hotness that took over his body from where Asami touched him, “I’m not your property.”

“No, you’re my sweetheart, as we all know,” smirked Asami and he dove in for a kiss again, plastering Akihito all over the cold fridge, his knee already rubbing against Akihito’s crotch.

“Don’t do this in my kitchen, my parents are just in the room next door,” the boy tried to push him away, but Asami stood in place, not leaving any opening.

“I don’t care, and they know you’re gay, aren’t they?” cradled his cheek Asami and he kissed the boy’s forehead softly.

“It’s one thing knowing your son is gay, and it’s another finding him bent over the kitchen counter, a dick rammed in his ass,” argued Akihito though his resolves were about to fly out of the window pretty soon.

“So that is what you were expecting? You’re as naughty as ever,” grinned Asami and his right hand slowly crept onto Akihito’s cock through his pants, starting to fondle the boy’s sleeping manhood, “I’m not against it just so you know.”

Akihito’s knee buckled as Asami’s skilled fingers touched him and aroused him, and he needed to hook his arms around the man’s neck not to fall onto the floor. He unconsciously pushed up against the man and ground himself against the fingers pleasuring him. He started to lose himself.

“Oh, God,” moaned Akihito as he couldn’t contain his voice anymore, and the echo of this sentence drove him back into reality.

He gathered all of his power and shoved Asami away from him and ran for the stairs without looking back. He needed to reflect on his actions and needed to jerk off quickly before dinner, thanks to that bastard.

“This’s going to be a wonderful evening,” he could hear Asami’s voice before he slammed the bathroom door shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Ryu's back in the game and he shamelessly tries to catch Akihito by his libido? What a cunning bastard!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening Everyone!
> 
> Surprise Saturday night/Sunday morning update since I went to check-up at the orthopaedics and during I waited I wrote most of this chapter. And people looked at me soooooo weird because I was grinning through the whole thing.
> 
> And you'll see why, haha. (I got requests for smut, so here it comes!)
> 
> Have fun reading!
> 
> Hugs
> 
> btw. I listened to the new Taylor Swift album while brainstorming and writing, and during the smutty scenes some Lana del Rey

Akihito’s mother always seemed the chatty type, her ability to dissect the littlest of information legendary in the neighbourhood. Akihito truly feared his mother during times when there were juicy topics and almost interrogation like situations. And this situation definitely became one of the worst types.

“So where did you get to know Akihito, Rina-san, Asami-san?” his mum asked, her sharp gaze fixed on the girl then Asami, both seated on Akihito’s each side, “Aki hardly ever brought a friend home when he grew up, and now you came here especially from Tokyo.”

“I’d like to remind you that I did not bring them here, Rina came by herself, and _you_ were the one who invited Asami as well,” the boy murmured sourly.

“Oh, we were regulars at the café where Aki works, so we got to know each other that way, and afterwards I decided to start working there,” Rina explained jovially and she smiled sweetly at Aki’s mom.

“Actually I wouldn’t call Asami a regular, he visited the shop like, what, three times?” Akihito commented lowly to Rina, though he intended everyone to hear it.

His mother’s cold glance almost skewered him like an icicle through the head.

“Oh, now, really, I’m so glad to hear that Akihito has such wonderful friends from his work! And where do you work, Asami-san?” his mother turned towards Asami, cheerfully shedding his previous façade, getting into half-journalist mode.

Akihito only shared a knowing glance with his father and instead concentrated onto the beef and potato stew in front of him, hoping the end this miserable event as soon as possible.

His mood did not ease either from Asami slowly and leisurely stroking his right thigh under the table, since that bastard decided to sit next to him. And when Akihito started to object, his mother only shushed him and told him to suck it up because the will of the guest is the one that is the most prominent in the Takaba household and nobody cares what the good-for-nothing son wanted.

_I just love how she treats me sometimes._

He poured himself a glass of water and ran his eyes through the peaceful scene in front of him, which truly could have been a birthday or anniversary or whatever celebration with his loved ones. Yes, loved ones. He still had some feeling for Asami, he painfully admitted, though he did not plan to forgive him that easy. Or ever.

He wouldn’t die if Asami were the one that got away. Sure as hell he would suffer for a while, but the pain eases with time, doesn’t it? So he could play it off, he could live his life with aching pain until he found someone that he could love and desire again, and he could put Asami away in the back of his mind. Sure he could do it, it wouldn’t be that bad.

He sighed and shook his head slowly. For a long time now he tuned out the conversation around the table, though he suspected that Rina and his mum had a delightful conversation, woman always being so chatty and sociable. He knew how women’s socializing behaviour could be terrifying and mesmerizing was at the same time.

But now Rina sat silently, enjoying her food, like nothing ever happened to her the previous evening, and Asami charmed his mother with his full-face gentleman smile and soft baritone, his words pouring out of his mouth like soft velvet all over the place. But the fact remained the same: Asami. Charmed. His. Mother. That bastard!

“Oh, my Asami-san,” his mother giggled a bit embarrassed, “I am so honoured to hear that you enjoy my cooking, however I am sure that you have visited fancier places and consumed more scrumptious dishes than mine.”

“But, indeed I visited more elegant places, however home-cooking is something that I rarely enjoyed during my life, since my mother is rather clumsy when it comes to the activities in the kitchen, or housekeeping for that matter,” Asami explained lightly, tapping his long, manicured fingers on the side of his champagne flute, “The last time I had the chance to eat some home-cooking happened to be on my birthday a month ago, and I need to happily admit defeat when I say that that was the most tasty meal I have ever eaten in my life.”

Akihito almost chocked on the beef he was about to swallow, and he broke out into a coughing fit. How dare Asami bring up his birthday gift from the boy and say that it was the best ever?!

“Akihito, mind your manners!” his mom scolded him.

He still had part of the chewed meat stuck just at the top of his windpipe, ready to be sucked into his lungs, but Rina’s hard slap on his back helped him regain control over the situation.

“Sorry,” he wheezed as he gulped down half of his water to free his windpipe from the wedged food.

“So, on your birthday someone cooked for you? Was it your lovely cousin?” Aki’s mom asked interested turning towards Rina.

The girl and Asami only shared a knowing glance then she broke out giggling.

“I am so sorry to disappoint you, Takaba-san, but I am desperately useless when it comes to cooking,” the girl chirped excited, “But I am a legendary eater!”

Everyone shared a heartfelt laugh at the table then the conversation tumbled forward.

“So, if neither your cousin nor your mother, who gave you such wonderful gift?” Aki’s mom inquired relentlessly. She already had a clue (not the fact that it was Akihito though), and everyone knew it around the table that she knew it, but they still played along.

“My lover,” Asami replied softly, “The most amazing and loving person in the whole wide world I have ever had the chance to get acquainted with.”

Akihito only glanced at Asami from the corner of his eyes and saw the man intensely staring at him. Hell, he wouldn’t give up his resolves just for the man saying sweet words about him, and he would definitely not give in that easily on the getting back together topic.

“Such a wonderful person exists in the world,” Aki’s mother sighed dreamily, “I wish that Akihito could find someone like that. However he always proved to be clumsy when it came to relationships.”

“Mother, do you really want to talk about me?” Aki hissed irritated, his desire to flee multiplying by the seconds, “’m sure you have things you wanna ask from Asami and Rina.”

“I don’t mind talking about you, Akihito,” Asami turned to the boy and flashed his charming smile at him.

“Well, I _do_ mind, so please keep me as a non-topic for this evening’s conversation,” the boy pleaded.

“Don’t worry, Ryu, we can gossip about Aki-chan as much as we want on the way home to Tokyo!” Rina piped into the conversation.

“Oh my, are you leaving Fukuoka? So soon?” Aki’s mom asked disappointed.

“Yes, well, we only came to ask Akihito to come back to Tokyo because all of his friends miss him besides us, but… he’s so relentless, he decided to stay here. And I’m really glad that he enjoys being at home, but I just can’t live without him smiling so sweetly at me every morning when we open the café,” Rina bubbled dramatically and Akihito’s fork froze in mid-air from the strict gaze coming from his mother.

“What?” he asked slowly, knowing where this conversation will lead to from now on, “I have not said hundred per cent sure that I am not going back, I just shared my mind that maybe I should stay here and do something related to my degree instead of running around the pretty-men café,” he shrugged, “You know like actual experience that will be useful in five years and I can start working based on my studies?”

“Akihito, you are 23 years old and yet you are free-loading on your parents and you don’t even earn a single dime at your job since you do it voluntarily,” his mum explained, “And look, your friends came just for you to have you back with them.”

“Who was the one who said that the capital ruined me?” the boy countered bitterly.

“But maybe if you stayed with your nice friends like you didn’t, maybe you would have gotten some elegance and style rubbing onto you, you stupid kid,” his mother replied.

“Honey, can’t we discuss it when we don’t have any guests over?” Akihito’s dad joined the conversation, “I mean, this evening really shouldn’t have to be about Akihito.”

Aki only glanced at his father, gratitude radiating from his eyes.

“Anyways, it’s late so I would like to ask you, Rina-san, Asami-san, that, if you don’t mind, please stay the night,” Aki’s mom got back on track with the conversation, and Akihito’s jaw immediately fell to the floor.

“They can’t!” he jumped up both palms plastered onto the table on either side of his plate.

Everyone in the room looked at him with different expressions on their faces. His mother’s contained murderous intents, his father looked like he just said good-bye to his son because he knew the boy was about to be murdered, Rina giggled into her palm, and Asami only smirked with amusement, his smile slowly spreading onto his charming face.

“I’m sure that you have a fancy suite booked in Royal Park Hotel or whichever one,” Akihito argued relentlessly, “I mean I wouldn’t even be surprise if you’d owned one of them fancy hotels or have some shares in it.”

“Well, Akihito, I’d rather say you are right, however this trip was planned so suddenly that I didn’t really have time to think about accommodation for the night. I have not planned to share a wonderful dinner with your family either,” Asami answered, his almost-innocent impression making Akihito hate him so much more, “But I am certain that either of _them fancy hotels_ would welcome us if we’d go there right now.”

That bastard made fun of his accent and use of words. Akihito’s boiling anger did not seem to cool in the foreseeable future until Asami stayed under his roof, his smugness the cause of every fight he could ever imagine. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Asami’s smugness would be the cause of world war three. 

“No, please, Asami-san, we would like to welcome you even if it’s for only a short night,” Akihito’s mother said, almost apologetically.

“We would _love_ to stay, if you truly do not mind our intrusion,” the sentence rolled slowly down from Asami’s tongue, Akihito getting paler and paler with each syllable spoken out loud.

“I’m giving up my room to Rina and spending the night at Hiroki’s,” Akihito exclaimed quickly after the sudden turn of events, and he already aimed for the door when his mother’s voice echoed in the room.

“Akihito, sit down, the dinner is not finished yet!”

He turned back with a defeated posture and slipped into his chair again, his gaze strictly pointed onto the table.

“Although I am glad you said you’d like to give up your room to Rina, so you can have the guest room with Asami-san,” his mother explained more lightly.

“No way in hell,” he grumbled under his nose and could exactly imagine the triumphant expression on Asami’s face, who basically got a free “ _Fuck my son_ ”-card from Aki’s mother.

They continued dinner, almost forgetting about Akihito’s sudden outburst, and even though Akihito could not wait for the end of the dinner before, now he wanted to stall it as long as possible, because he couldn’t spend a night with Asami in the same room. Not now, not like this, not after what happened. Not after the things that were said and done. He just couldn’t do it.

But the dinner ended, Akihito collected the dishes and Rina helped him while Asami chatted with Aki’s parents, charmed them all over again, wrapped them around his finger, and had himself burrow into the hearts of the Fukuoka couple with just some sweet words, mostly about Akihito who was the light of their lives however much they argued. So wonderful how parents could be influenced if people knew the right methods: their strict, distant façade could be easily melted and broken down with only a few strategically positioned words and glances.

“I am defeated,” Akihito sighed as he scraped some leftovers into a Tupperware and placed it into the fridge, “I won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight; I’ll be so on edge.”

“Ryu’s not that big of a beast,” Rina consoled him while she put the dishes into the dishwasher.

“He almost gave me a handjob before dinner in this exact room, not caring whether we got caught or not,” the boy remarked and he pushed his forehead against the cold metal surface of the fridge, “And fuck you too for saying that you all _soooo_ miss me and want me to go back to Tokyo. I don’t want to go back there, I’d leave the country if I had the money for it!”

“C’mon Aki-chan, Ryu came here just to steal you back, what else do you want from him? He never did such thing for anyone,” the girl explained, and she started to stroke the boy’s back.

“I know, but… he hurt me so much,” the boy said as a sudden sob broke out of him, and he even surprised himself that he was about to cry.

Rina only hugged him tight, and Akihito hugged her back, his face buried into the girl’s hair, his tears slowly rolling in-between the chestnut locks. The soothing smell of jasmine and pomegranate from the girls shampoo clamed him and slowly he was back to his normal senses and could go on with the night. Maybe.

“Oh, by the way, your mum just saw us hugging, so I’m sure that she’s just boasting about it to your dad and Ryu. I’m sorry, you’re definitely gonna be fucked tonight, Ryu’s the jealous type,” the girl chitchatted excitedly, “Maybe you’ll be able to make up!”

“Oh, for fucks sake, I’m really sleeping over at Hiroki’s!”

 

As he set up the two guest futons, one for himself, the other for Asami, he re-evaluated his life choices and what he did wrong to suffer now. Like seriously, he always helped the elderly, babysat the neighbours’ cheeky brats and basically never even cheated in school like ever. He honestly studied for his exams, worked hard at his part-time jobs and even gave his all during his relationships.

And he still kneeled on the floor of their guest room, laying out the futon for Asami, who so cruelly and ruthlessly broke up with him and basically told him to fuck his poor self. Asami currently shared a drink on the veranda with his father, and played with the dog. _His_ dog. Even the freaking dog got charmed by that asshole so easily and almost instantly crawled into the man’s lap for scratches behind the ears and on the belly.

Only Akihito grew immune to Asami’s deal now, and even he needed to develop it the hard way, through the heart wrenching suffering during the past few weeks. Though the pain only dulled since that morning, the morning his whole world broke down one more time, and he finally could breathe again. Well, he could until yesterday.

He slumped onto his futon (he decided on the one closer to the door so he could scurry from the scene of the crime easier), his back to the door, and pulled his knees to his chest, making a perfect foetal pose. He did not want to sleep in the same room as Asami. He didn’t even want to be in the same room, the same house, the same ward, the same city, the same island, the same country!

“Are you sleeping already?” the man walked into the room, and Akihito only meekly shrugged.

“I’m tired,” he answered dully, “Just leave me alone and go to sleep.”

“But Akihito, it is a wonderful opportunity for us to reconcile,” Asami mused as he walked up to the window and peeked out onto the street from behind the thick curtains.

“I just want you to go to sleep and then get the hell out of my home as soon as possible, first thing in the morning, because you have already tainted everything that was precious and important to me,” the boy rambled a bit irritated and he turned his back to Asami, “Go take a shower, or to sleep, or I don’t really care, and leave me alone.”

Akihito only heard some rustling of clothes then the creaking of the floorboard and the soft click of the guest bathroom’s door. He peeked over his shoulder and could see Asami’s shirt, vest and suit jacket hanging on the doorknob of the chest of drawers, and they were perfectly placed onto a hanger. That bastard even paid attentions to these kinds of details. So why could he not leave the boy alone, who so needed to be left alone for the sake of his broken heart that threatened to shatter into tiny little smithereens again?

The sound of the shower startled him from his thoughts, the rhythmical tapping of the water drops on the tile and Asami’s fit body joining in harmony and composing the most soothing tunes. 

Akihito, being as emotionally and physically exhausted as he felt, almost fell asleep when the first moan echoed in the bathroom, making his drooping eyes shoot wide open. He hoped that he heard it because of his subconscious was playing with him, but when he heard the next moan and the other, he realized that it was really happening:

Asami indeed was jerking off in their guest bathroom.

He stood up quickly, forcing himself not to spare a single thought to the situation, marched to the door and, without knocking or coughing or anything, barged to shout at the man.

“You can’t be serious! Stop jerking off in our guest bathroom! Have you no shame?!” he shouted, his eyes averted in the direction of the bathroom mirror or wherever he didn’t need to see Asami’s massive, erect cock that’s size could compete with a race horse’s.

“Since you are not willing to participate in our regular activities I needed to seek replacements,” Asami countered, his voice husky and full of desire.

“Do it elsewhere, or get a prostitute or I don’t care, but stop it right now!” the boy shrieked and he committed the foolish mistake to look at Asami, whose cock accusingly pointed at the boy, its tip already weeping with pearly white pre-cum, dripping onto the tiles and getting mixed up in the current of the water from above.

“Or would you care joining me?” the man asked smugly, his hand slowly stroking his cock, and Akihito watching the act mesmerized and hypnotised.

“No?” the boy replied, his voice shaking.

He just watched as Asami’s skilful right hand slid up and down on the length of his massive shaft, making occasional twirls around the base, and swiping his thumb over the slit, leaving the man moaning from pleasure.

“I think you do,” Asami grinned and before Akihito could do anything, the man already grabbed his wrist and pulled him under the shower, his clothes getting soaked immediately and without fail.

Asami tugged his pants down and found the boy’s erect cock in his boxers, grinning smugly because he achieved the effect he wished to. He started to stroke Akihito’s shaft, imitating the same motions he just practiced on his own manhood, and Akihito automatically started moaning and gasping, his voice echoing in the tiled bathroom.

“Sto… oop…” he wheezed as he tried to win back his reason and fought against Asami without any results whatsoever.

“Shh, Akihito, your parents will hear us,” Asami whispered in his ear, and he started to nibble on the shell and the lobe, running the tip of his tongue in the boy’s ear, “You said that you didn’t want to be found with a cock rammed into your ass, and that is exactly what I’m planning to do now, so…”

“I… hate y… you…” the boy hissed between gritted teeth.

Asami didn’t answer, only his smug smile shown that he at least understood what the boy said. He removed Akihito’s pants and lifted the boy to kick the dripping wet garments out from the shower. He then, after placing the boy back onto his feet, concentrated onto his chest, the nipples obscenely standing on full attention below the soaked fabric, their shape and size clearly distinguishable.

“Don’t you dare…!” Akihito started to warn the man, but in the next moment Asami’s teeth grazed his sensitive right bud and he groaned in pleasure.

The last time he had sex, with Asami, happened almost a month ago, since then he only jerked off but it did not ever feel the same; the possessive kisses, the marks on his body and the merciless ramming could not be substituted with his meek fingers playing with his cock, nipples and ass. He thirsted for the real deal, he wished to be rammed into, poking that all so perfect spot and spill all over his lover’s stomach or onto the expensive, citrus and sandalwood scented recliner in that wonderful king sized bed.

Asami still stroked his cock, that sweet and undeniable feeling of him edging towards his climax almost palpable, the gasps and moans echoing in the bathroom making him more excited and a bit ashamed of his behaviour. He shouldn’t writhe under Asami like some cheap slut waiting to be fucked. He should dig in his heels and punch that bastard square in the jaw.

Instead he only leaned forward, pushing his nose and mouth into the wet mop of the man, not necessarily begging for a kiss, but definitely craving for one. He wished to be kissed, he craved to be kissed and devoured; he only needed the relief after that one long month.

Asami, probably sensing the boy’s silent struggle with himself, surfaced from sucking the boy’s nipple, and pushed Akihito up against the shower wall. He swept the boy’s wet bangs out of his forehead, cradled his cheek and leaned in for a surprisingly tender kiss, his tongue experimentally licking and dipping into the boy’s mouth, his teeth scraping against his lips, nibbling on the perfect, rosy flesh.

Akihito’s arms hooked around the man’s neck and pulled him in even closer, maybe hoping to merge with the strong, built body in front of him, maybe in hopes of never separating from him ever again. Asami’s hand never stopped moving, though during their kiss he slowed the pace, savouring the boy’s heavenly moans and gasps in his mouth, the desperate kitten licks and the warm pull into the small body of the boy’s.

Suddenly their kiss ended just as suddenly as it started and, to Akihito’s utter shock and surprise, Asami lifted him in the air and in only a couple of large steps they were already out in the guest room, the boy spread out on Asami’s futon, his legs forced wide open by the man who dipped into giving head.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Akihito shrieked, surprisingly composed when he felt Asami’s tongue twirling around the head of his cock.

“What does it seem to you, Akihito?” Asami countered, his dim golden eyes, partly hidden behind his bangs, fixated on the boy’s face.

“Don’t do it!” Aki argued, but all of his resistance vanished as Asami took his whole length in his warm, wet mouth.

The heat almost scorched Akihito’s skin, as the silver tongue turned to velvet and caressed his shaft, licking round and round the pulsing flesh, the tip occasionally dipping into his slit, making his hips buckle and his breathing hitch. Asami’s blowjob drove him closer and closer to his limit, his mind hazing and his thoughts tumbling on each other.

He weaved his fingers into the man’s wet hair, the silky strands long enough to give him a firm grip. His other arm plastered all over his face, his lower arm being bitten as to not make any noise, did not help him not to reach his climax, and soon enough he could feel himself ready to soil the other man’s mouth with his seeds.

“Asa… Sto…” he wheezed, as Asami continuously played around with his cock, his teeth occasionally softly scraping against the sensitive flesh, the tip of his tongue swirling around the head and dipping into the slit.

“It’s getting denser,” the man commented almost cheekily, “Are you close, my Akihito?”

Akihito felt as the grip on his right leg eased, and without a thought, he swung it free, kicking Asami in the side, making the man lose his balance, and tearing him out of his current treatment. But he couldn’t crawl away, as Asami still held firmly onto his left leg, his other hand reaching for the painfully aching and throbbing member of the boy, pumping it again with frantic movements and jerks, stroking it until Akihito couldn’t move anymore and his orgasm made him fall on his side, his cum splattering all over the duvet.

He wheezed and tried to find himself, when Asami pulled him back under, kissing the boy passionately, their saliva intermingling with the bitter taste of Akihito’s pre-cum from Asami’s mouth and tongue.

Akihito felt his heart painfully breaking again, the sound of his resolves shattering and the loudness of his mind just getting lost in the current of events echoing in his soon-to-be empty head. He craved the man, he craved his touch and love so much, but that unachievable love (at least for him it proved to be) only made him bleed from the same wounds again.

“Please,” he started to beg, his tears slowly rolling down on the small distance between his eyes and his ears, the salty drops disappearing in his hair, “I don’t want this. Not like this.”

Asami only wiped his tears away with his thumbs, his elbow supporting him on either side of Akihito, then he leaned in and kissed the boy’s eyes and forehead, returning to his mouth and softly sharing a tender kiss again. Their tongues danced around each other, tasting and savour the other, Asami carefully cradling the boy’s head and brushing away the tears that did not seem to stop.

 

“You threw me away,” Akihito broke the silence, his fragile body trapped in Asami’s strong embrace, his head resting on the man’s shoulder, “you threw me out. I don’t want you anymore either, and you definitely don’t deserve the right to claim me again.”

For the past hour they lay on top of the duvet, their desire and will to mate like animals slowly swallowed by the darkness and the truth that inevitably filled the atmosphere and took its righteous place.

Since Akihito’s crying did not seem to subside, Asami took up the comforter role, and he soothed the boy, petted his head and stroked his back, until he reclaimed his cool, distant behaviour. They ended up on each other, Akihito only staring into the distance, mumbling to himself, while Asami only watched the boy’s features: the soft line of his nose, the plumpness of his lips and the fluttering of his long eyelashes.

“You are the worst,” Akihito mumbled, “And I hate you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Indeed, I am,” Asami replied finally, after his long silence, “But you cannot tell me what I am allowed to do. And I am here to take you back.”

“Yeah, I heard about it already,” the boy sighed and he shifted himself as to look at Asami’s face, “and I need to say that you have some nerves.”

“Indeed, I do,” the man agreed again, and he brushed a still damp lock out of Akihito’s face, “but I still won’t back down whatever you say.”

Akihito only snorted, though tired and he turned his back to Asami, the man’s right arm still keeping him close to the warm body. He didn’t care that Asami did not climax, that bastard would have deserved a lifetime of denied orgasms, but he felt uncomfortable, their heated skin touching, their bodies so close and so intimately fitting into each other.

Akihito felt Asami shift, and felt the man’s wet tongue circling on the back of his neck, the hot sensation sending shivers all over his body, goose bumps breaking out on every inch of his skin.

“You taste and smell like the sea,” Asami whispered in his ear, “You’re like a mermaid that robs hearts and tempts men.”

And in that moment a switch in Akihito clicked onto the other setting and a Cheshire cat-like smile formed on his boyish face, his thoughts of revenge and the future suffering of Asami taking over his mind.

Since Asami claimed him to be such a tease, such a charmer and such a tempter, he decided that he would pull an Asami in the next stage of this, something-or-another, relationship they had. He would be the one getting into this whole thing with so half-assed feelings and he definitely would not be the one to fall in love first. He wouldn’t be so foolish again as to lose against this stubborn, blockheaded man who would always look at him as a plaything. He should do the same. Asami could struggle and suffer, but Akihito wouldn’t give in so easily, hell he wouldn’t give in at all. Why would he? He already had his fair share of pain and suffering from the relationship with the man and getting serious again would just trigger his gullible and self-destructive tendencies again.

“You know, I decided something,” Akihito started slowly; his back still to Asami, who still licked and sucked the tender skin on the boy’s neck.

“Please share,” the man purred into his ear, his warm breath brushing Akihito’s skin.

The boy only milled through his previous thoughts again, making sure he made the right decision, then he suddenly turned around, pushed Asami onto his back and sat on the man’s abdomen, his hands clutching the surprised man’s shoulders. He cocked his head to the left and could feel the cunning smile forming on his face.

“I am through with relationships and love and all those bullshit, thanks to a special snowflake who decided that trampling all over my everything was the best idea ever,” he grinned, though he felt like blowing up in his anger and hurt again. But he needed to contain himself.

“So what are you planning, Akihito?” Asami cocked his eyebrow, the promise of the up-coming hunt lighting up his expression.

“Though I’m not looking for a boyfriend, or whatever, I, like every other men and women in this world, have needs. Special needs, bodily needs,” the boy explained, his innocence mixing with the playfulness and cheekiness of the idea he mulled over and over again.

“Are you planning to offer me the position of your special needs friend?” the man inquired, his hands crawling onto Akihito’s waist, the hotness of his touch almost burning the boy’s skin.

“Indeed, I am planning to, however it is strictly sex. No dates, no cuddling, no sweet-talking. If you want something like this then fight for it, though in the end I’m pretty sure that you don’t really care. You just need a tight hole to stick your big rod into, and to be honest it could be anybody,” Akihito shook his head slowly, his hair whipping from side to side.

“Interesting options you gave, Akihito, but will you be able to keep yourself to your resolves?” the genuineness of Asami’s caring tone almost made Akihito go back on his words and annul the deal. But he convinced himself that he could act strong and be responsible enough to bat away Asami’s charm.

“Do you think I’m some sort of an idiot? Do you think that after burning myself severely and painfully, almost 4th degree, I would jump into the flames again? Because I have my limits and reasons and even though they tell me to run away as fast as I can, I still remember how you fucked me breathless and to the point of no return, so it’s up to you now.”

Asami considered the words for some minutes, Akihito kept their eye contact, his resolves clearly written on his face, and Asami’s hands slowly crawled from his waist to his back and pulled him onto himself, their crotches touching and grinding against each other, their heated gasps and moans filling the air.

“Very well, Akihito. Shall we seal our deal with a kiss?” the man asked and he already cradled the boy’s head and pulled him into a kiss between savages, a kiss between nothing more than two individuals only sharing their bodies but not their feelings.

“And one more thing,” Akihito said as he pushed himself up from the man, their cocks rubbing to each other, “Don’t call my name. Ever. We are not friends, we just help each other in need.”

“Then how should I call out to you when I climax?” Asami cocked his head to the side.

“I’d prefer you didn’t call me anything, just stayed silent, fucked me and then left,” Akihito said without any emotions, though he felt the urge inside him to start to cry again.

“Then I shall obey your request,” Asami nodded, and he grabbed Akihito’s ass and started to knead it, making the boy buckle his hips and creating more friction between their erect cocks.

Asami suddenly, pretty violently, flipped Akihito to his back, him grabbing the boy’s thighs from behind and bending him, making his ass free and accessible. He dragged his tongue between the boy’s ass cheeks and started to lap around the pink little ring, occasionally dipping the tip of his tongue into it.

“Keep your legs like this because I’ll start to stretch you, Ak… boy,” Asami ordered him, and Akihito gripped his thighs in a daze, the undistinguishable pleasure and embarrassment colouring his face and mind red.

When Asami’s first finger entered him, besides the warm muscle tonguing him wet, he squealed and a shiver-like spasm took over his whole body. He felt like he would break out in a heavy fever in any minute, his pleasure receptors overheating and his mind all over the place.

The things he said and was about to do, they all tumbled around in his mind, making him feel guilty and helpless, making him feel like a whore who just sold himself to a wolf and gave up his right to become a human. He despised himself, but loved himself, and loved the up-coming, almost palpable pleasure that Asami would provide him, which he craved for so long. Even though no love was involved in their deal, it basically strictly forbade any type of romance, he convinced himself that it would be all right: he could live with the burden of a heavy heart.

Asami’s second then third finger entered him, and the room filled up with Akihito’s restrained moans and gasps, him biting down on his forearm again in order to seize the sounds that threatened to break out of him. In the meantime Asami’s mouth wandered from the boy’s sloppily wet, stretched asshole to the boy’s balls and he sucked on them, licking the sack and the base and underside of the perky cock throbbing with the pleasure that its owner received. 

Pre-cum slowly dripped onto Akihito’s stomach and chest, his back still bent into this weird, not necessarily uncomfortable position, the back of his head pushing into the thin summer duvet.

Asami, not saying a word, straightened up and slapped his hard cock against Akihito’s gaping asshole and onto the sack and balls, then he made circular motions around the boy’s hole, teasing the twitching pucker with the hot head of his member, driving Akihito crazy with need and lust. He rubbed the head to the boy’s opening stronger and stronger, his pre-cum dripping onto the spasming and twitching ring, then the white liquid trickled down between the cheeks onto the boy’s back then the blanket.

“Just… put it… in,” wheezed Akihito, and he reached to grab his cheeks to pull them apart, to open that gaping hole into his heaven, tempting Asami to enter him.

When the man thrust in quickly to the hilt, Akihito’s head whipped back, his mouth hanging wide open, his mind clouding. Asami only pressed his hand onto the boy’s mouth, keeping the pleasured moans and gasps and wheezes dimmed from the other’s in the house, his other hand pumping the boy’s cock with the same rapid motion as his thrusts.

“You like it when I thrust in, right?” Asami asked hushed, his voice low and dangerous, his composed façade slowly crumbling down.

Akihito only looked at him, his clear eyes filled with tears and pleasure, and he slowly nodded, the obscene slapping sound of Asami’s skin on his own sounding so erotic and so wrong in the stillness of the night.

“But you like it more when I grind, don’t you?” the man asked again, and he started to twirl his hips, his thrusting motion changing into an exploring one.

Akihito unconsciously whimpered and moaned harder from the pleasure when Asami’s cock rolled around in him, the hotness of their joining almost melting them together. He tried to squirm away, to run away, but Asami grabbed his right ankle and pushed it almost to the ground, rendering Akihito’s movements to almost non-existent.

“You’re squeezing me so tight, you might trap me inside you forever.” Asami teased Akihito, who could only do so much since he was currently stuck under Asami, who grinded his insides and made him contract around his huge, throbbing member, “And just listen what slutty and embarrassing noises you are making, you’re parents will know what it sounds like when you climax, maybe even the neighbours will hear.”

Akihito looked up at the man and, through his clouded mind and restricted movements and hazy body, started to beg.

“N… no…” he whimpered, his eyes fluttering open and close, his saliva trickling down the side of his face, “Pl… ease… no…”

Asami stopped for a moment, then started to ram into the boy’s heaven again, making him moan so much harder, making him lose his mind and go crazy because of the threat of being caught still floated in the air. Akihito looked at him pleading, his flushed face, teary eyes and messy hair just making him the sexiest and most wonderful being ever.

“Stick out your tongue, A… boy,” Asami ordered and Akihito obeyed, his pink little kitten tongue fluttering out of his gaping mouth.

Asami dove in, and sucked on the boy’s tongue, making him shiver and gasp, then he kissed the boy hard and started to thrust into him more rapidly, feeling the tightening of the body and the contracting muscles around himself and soon Akihito moaned into his mouth louder and louder, their tongues dancing and rubbing against each other, Akihito’s breathing quickening, and his eyes rolling back into his head, his hole body only a breath away from climaxing.

And he let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Aki made an ultimatum and Asami seems to play along. Oh boy these two are so fucking hard to handle, idiots.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahoy mateys!
> 
> here is the new wonderful chapter, coming straight from Asami Ryuichi's point of view because I got prompts regarding seeing into Ryu's head again.
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> Thank you for the comments and the kudos, I love you all!! <3 :33
> 
> Have fun reading!

_Asami POV_

After Rina and he returned to Tokyo it took exactly five days for him to receive the news that Akihito got on a bullet train and returned to the capital as well. When he skimmed through the report of the boy’s presence around the flat he shared with his friends, Asami decided to get his plans in motion in order to their future reconciliation, however the outcome of these plans highly depended on Akihito.

The fascination that filled him from Akihito’s deal (or proposal) already drained out of him, the trace of their last copulation only shown itself in the fact that the irritation that usually bubbled under the surface during the past month left him alone. Oh, what a nice evening that was.

Akihito’s mother inviting him over never even occurred in his mind, his plans to conquer the boy one more time (and from now on forever) solely were based on his charm and wit. And then the woman, out of the blue, asked him whether he had any other plans for the evening because, if not, he’d also be welcomed at the Takaba family residence for dinner. Seeing the place where the boy grew up, the memories, the pictures, the childhood prizes decorating the house, they were all so adorable and shown how the family loved each other. He could grasp the importance of love and devotion between parents and child, Akihito’s upbringing, his traits and his behaviour clearly distinguishable in his mother and father as well.

And then Akihito proposed his quite peculiar and interesting proposal to… to what? Alienate Asami? He thought that the man would up and leave because they would not have a real relationship, only something physical? Or he hoped to coax Asami into a guilt trip and could make him court the boy again? This boy _was_ something, his train of thoughts mesmerizing and frightening, his self-awareness and self-deciphered worth distorted, the cause of previous events happening to him.

He could have handled the situation better, he should admit it, but when it came to Akihito he felt like juggling with expensive china. One wrong move and everything would shatter into smithereens and they could not be repaired ever again. And it seemed the only thing he so wanted to avoid, the prediction of the boy breaking down, all came true. 

At first he indeed planned to explain and talk everything out with Akihito, but the boy seemed unsettled and tired, his whole body shaking under the stress of the past hours, the past time they have not seen each other. The desire to drawn the boy to his chest and embrace him until he sunk into a deep slumber still lingered in his mind, even after five days, and he could not erase the weird, unknown feeling nagging and gnawing at the back of his mind.

_You know exactly what it is. Do not pretend you don’t._

Akihito definitely did not belong under the label of a cheap whore, and yet, with this “special needs friends” proposal of his, selling himself out for bodily pleasures, he started out on the way as one. No, he was not one yet, but if he kept up this ridiculous behaviour he could easily become a slave for instant physical gratification. Not that Asami would let it happen.

He stood up from his expensive leather chair and started to pace around his office. He needed a plan to get this silly idea out of Akihito’s pretty little head. And he definitely shan’t engage in more awkward “Do not call my name” sex with the boy. He could have gotten sex anywhere he went, women and men all fawning over him and craving his touch, but he could not get another Akihito anywhere. And he did not even need another one. He desired the one that he already got familiar with: the one with the sharp tongue and the beautiful mind, the perky body with curves at the right places and the gentleness that still bloomed in him even though he lived in the capital for so long. He longed for this Akihito, longed for him waking up in the same bed and taking shower in the same bathroom, cooking in the same kitchen and relaxing on the same sofa. 

Asami stepped up to the glass wall of his office, from where he could see the cavalcade of people and cars and buses under him in the busy Shinjuku district: those petty people with their petty lives and problems. He could use currently some petty lives and problems. But besides having to deal with the Koreans, he still stood without any good advice whatsoever in getting back Akihito.

He should have not said those things when he broke up with the boy trying to protect him. He definitely should have not. But they flew out to the open, resonating still in his dining room, the cruelty of those words slashing newer and newer wounds everywhere they touched. He could have handled the situation better, instead of popping the boy’s bubble filled with love, but he did not. And he could not go back to fix this anymore. He ought to go forward and start to build up their whole relationship again from scratches and ruins.

But at least the boy returned to him. Well, not exactly to him, but he did not run away either.

He sighed and turned around to march back to his desk, work still waiting for him, but he found himself face-to-face with Rina. The girl sat on the corner of his shiny mahogany office table, leisurely filing her nails.

“Oh, good, you’re back,” she smiled and sunk her filer in her designer bag.

The girl sat there so prettily, so relaxed, her long legs dangling, her shorts just the right length and her t-shirt hugging her form. She grew up to be beautiful, Asami needed to admit it, though he never felt any type of desire towards this little twerp.

“I have not been anywhere,” he answered as he sunk into his chair. “What do you want?”

“Seriously, you are always so mean,” the girl pouted and she crossed her legs. “Would it hurt if you’d be nice sometimes?”

Asami only rolled his eyes and picked up the documents he leafed through before his Akihito-crisis surfacing again, just like every two-three hours. Though admitting the fact that he actually felt perplexed and _conflicted_ because of the boy… he would never do that.

“Yes, it would, especially to you,” he replied tiredly, opening some Excel sheets and progress reports from an e-mail from Kirishima to compare with the documents in his hands. “What do you want?”

“Yeah, so tomorrow you know there’s gonna be this premier slash party thing, and I want you to give me your VIP invitation,” the girl cocked her head to the right, “I suppose you don’t wanna attend, but I do and I already invited Akira and the others.”

Asami’s eyes darted to the girl and he glared at her for a long time, battling with the question that almost broke out of him. So does Akihito also…? No, he could not ask that because 1. he did not have the right to ask it, and 2. Rina would tease him for the rest of the month, him being a jealous old man. Even though the girl was 8 years younger than him, so he really did not count _that_ old.

“So?” the girl asked impatiently, as he glanced back onto his progress report, not even considering the request.

“Ask Kirishima, he is the one dealing with these issues, the invitations, events and reservations, and you know it exactly,” he answered tiredly and shushed the girl waving his right hand, “Now go away, in contrast with you, I am working.”

“And sighing like a lovesick damsel, I watched you pace, and glare and sigh at Shinjuku for almost twenty minutes,” the girl grinned and she hopped off his desk, her sandals thudding on the polished floorboard.

She sashayed up to the doors that were tightly closed, and stopped, her delicate fingers clutched around the doorknob.

“Oh, by the way, your sweetheart is a party pooper and he instead wants to stay at home,” she told over her shoulder nonchalant, “Just thought to give you a heads up.”

“He’s not my sweetheart,” Asami countered a bit irritated. He just wanted the girl gone since she always had her sneaky little ways to toy with his emotions and he could not repel it however hard he tried.

“I am so glad that you grasped the most important part of my sentence, Ryu,” the girl rolled her eyes, her tone equally irritated to how Asami felt. She deserved it, and so much more, being the nosy little twat she was. “Take him out to somewhere nice,” she waved and her tight figure already disappeared behind the doors, the _clack clack clack_ of her sandals echoing on the corridor.

Take him out to somewhere nice? Like it was so possible in their current relationship. How did the boy say? No dates, no cuddling, no sweet-talking. Two out of three were included in taking him out somewhere nice. Taking him out somewhere nice meant a date itself. And the boy disagreed to it. Disagreed to anything gentle and relationship-like. Disagreed to pampering. Disagreed to feelings.

How could he make it go so wrong? The guilt still tore into his flesh, the tiny little pieces disappearing sometimes making him harder to breathe.

He propped up his head on his left hand while he massaged his temple with his right fingers. He should think of something, really. The boy wouldn’t come back to him willingly; his strong personality and pride, and also his hurt feelings: they all kept him from reconciling. And he was right. He should not forgive Asami that easily.

“Take him out to somewhere nice!” Rina’s head popped up from behind the door again, “It’s not that hard!”

“Why are you still here?” Asami reprimanded her, his thoughts one more time clashing and tumbling.

“I could hear you sighing from the elevator,” the girl grinned and she ducked when the stapler from Asami’s desk flew in the direction of her pretty face, “Do you need some Rina-magic, RyRy?”

“Go home!” Asami hissed and he stood up, leaning over his desk, “And don’t ever think of coming back to _my_ flat, since it’s finally free of your chaos again!”

“I’ll drop by tonight,” Rina winked and she walked away, her bubbling “ _See ya RyRy!_ ” echoing through the whole floor.

Asami only shook his head tiredly and walked up to the conveniently placed bar in the middle of his office, the crystal bottle of amber liquid calling out to him, seducing him into drinking one or two ounces of alcohol to clear out his mind.

“Asami-sama, you’re scheduled to have a lunch meeting with the Diet members at 1.45 pm in _Nodaiwa_. We should depart soon,” Kirishima walked into his office, his fingers springing back and forth on his tablet that seemed to be glued to his hand 24/7. “Also, I went along with Rina-sama’s request and gave her the invitation.”

“I’m not going,” Asami shrugged and took a sip from his tumbler that contained way more than one or two ounces of whiskey, “I do not feel the resolve to charm politicians today.”

Kirishima frowned then looked back to his tablet, the thudding of his rapid typing filling the ether of the room. They did not talk for a few minutes then his secretary glanced at him and took a deep breath.

“I would like to remind you that we have had this meeting already postponed three times. If you keep up not appearing, they will ostracize you, Asami-sama,” Kirishima explained, approaching with caution, his eyes on the half-full tumbler in Asami’s hand, “Please reconsider your decision because the cooperation with the Diet is one of our main business concerns currently.”

Asami only walked up to the glass wall again, his mind twirling and turning, his ideas and plans constructing and reconstructing. His mind filled up with Akihito: the boy’s charming smile, the funny way he sometimes twirled his words with an adorable accent, his soft sighs and loud moans, how his buttocks fit perfectly into Asami’s palms, how their bodies complemented each other’s. He needed to see him. He craved to see him, to talk to him, to touch him, to kiss him, to embrace him, to never let go of him.

“Kirishima,” he started slowly, turning back towards his secretary.

“Yes, Asami-sama?” the man asked, his interest piqued because of his boss’ tone.

“Fuck the Diet, I’m going out.”

 

The September sun shone brightly on the sky and the noon crowd basked in the fortunate weather that embraced the late-summer/early-autumn day, energizing everyone. People tumbled down the streets like cattle: the businessmen and –women mixing with tourist and students and NEETs, the destination different for each and every one of them.

Asami, as he strutted towards the café (he did not walk or marched, he strutted), could hardly compose any grand speech that he could say to Akihito. The unresolved issues with the boy, the bitterness and regrets, the anger and the desperation, they all swirled between them, the right words and actions just out of their reach.

He could feel the prickling gazes coming from Kirishima and Suoh, both of them watching him from a distance, guarding him. At least they did not dare to involve themselves in their boss’ business since they got paid to keep him safe and shut up when they did not agree with something. And, Asami felt certain, they did not agree him running after a country boy with tight body and a sassy personality.

He stopped a few buildings down from the café and thought that maybe he should have not drunk before starting out on his mission. Especially not so quickly, not the amount he consumed and without eating a proper lunch to boot. No, he definitely was not drunk, and he did not act like a disgrace, but the uncomfortable churning in his stomach mixed with the excitement that he could even glance at Akihito made him somewhat restless.

In his hands he clutched a bouquet of white tulips, the meaning of the flower completely going over his head, his only thought at the time he bought the flower was to not buy anything corny or somewhat wrong, the sight of the simple tulips just fitting with the pure image of the boy in his mind.

When he crossed the threshold of the coffee shop the excited chitchatting, the buzzing of the guests and the baristas stopped immediately, everyone watching the man curiously as he walked up to the counter where Akihito and the foreign-looking barista stood, dealing with the noon rush.

“What are you doing here?” Akihito asked a bit bitter, scowling at the man, “I told you I’ll call you when I want to see you.”

Akihito’s voice trembled a little, his gaze softening a bit as he glanced at the bouquet of flowers in the man’s hand. He shook himself a bit and turned back towards the costumer who awkwardly held out his change for the coffee he just ordered.

“Wait until the end of the rush,” the boy snapped out at Asami, and beckoned towards the barstools by the window of the shop. 

Asami cocked his head to the right and his satisfied smiled slowly bloomed on his charming face, his slight victory immediately calming his nerves. He could not name the feeling buzzing inside him – this tightening, suffocating, nerve-wrecking reaction of his body that almost made him lose his breath, and now the realization that he actually felt nervous hit him hard.

He felt nervous talking to Akihito again, felt nervous that the boy would reject him flat out and send him away. He felt nervous that their relationship might have been worse than how they currently stood in his opinion.

“Uuum, excuse me,” he heard from his right and he turned there to face a pretty European blonde, her eyes shining a bright jade, “Is this seat taken?”

He glanced at the empty seat on his right then towards Akihito who still stood busy behind the counter, reciting orders to his colleague and working the cash register, the frequent _ca-ching_ chiming happily. The boy, almost undetectably, glanced in his direction and checked out the girl standing next to him. When his eyes met with Asami’s he only turned back towards the other boy behind the counter and told him something.

Akihito suddenly marched out behind the counter, up to the first floor and after a few seconds he returned with the short friend of his, Ren or what was his name. They talked a little, argued silently to be exact, the other boy clearly a bit angry and irritated, then they parted and Akihito walked up to Asami.

“Come to the back,” he rattled out without any emotion and he coldly glanced at the girl who stood surprised and a bit disappointed when Asami readily abandoned his barstool and followed the boy.

They walked through the corridor from the end of the shop, in front of the manager’s office and the changing room and the bathroom for the employees and they already stood out behind the café, in the alleyway.

“Why are you here? I told you I will call you when I want to meet up with you,” Akihito started angrily, “I can’t believe you just shown up like nothing happened!”

Asami did not say anything, only examined the boy from top to bottom and back. 

_He lost some weight._

Yes, Akihito definitely lost some weight and he had dark circles under his eyes, though they did not dimmed the fierce fire in the boy’s gaze. The fire currently burnt with anger, trying to intimidate Asami.

“After thorough consideration I decided to decline your proposal,” the man said when a few intense seconds passed, and Akihito’s eyes slightly widened. “I am not your Dutch wife, and never plan to be.”

The boy cocked his eyebrow, trying to collect himself from his dumbfounded state that Asami’s blunt sentence caused. Asami could see how hard he tried to contain the emotions that fluttered through his face with the speed of light. He almost reached out to caress the boy’s face, his fingertips aching and burning to touch the fine, soft skin. And yet he endured his desire and reached into his pocket to flick out a cigarette from his silver cigarette case.

“Then I guess we have nothing else to talk about,” Akihito eventually concluded and he already stepped by Asami to walk back into the café, his shoulders slumped.

Asami couldn’t stop himself as he grabbed the boy’s upper arm, and made him halt. They shared an intense gaze: Akihito’s eyes full of sadness and hatred, his thoughts so evidently written on his pretty face, and Asami almost leaned in for a kiss, almost made the foolish mistake of objectifying Akihito once more. He needed to control himself, showing his intentions that were not solely physical gratification.

“I decided to decline your proposal to be special needs friends,” he started again, not letting Akihito go, who struggled against the strong grip enclosing his upper arm, “so that we can get back to the way we were. And as first step I’m taking you out to dinner tomorrow evening.”

“I’m not going,” the boy answered simply, his hand trying to pry Asami’s clutch from around his arm, “Please let me go, I’m currently at work.”

Asami took a deep breath and held out the bouquet towards Akihito, who looked more and more confused and flabbergasted from the turn of events. He looked at the flowers then at Asami then back at the flowers.

“What should I do with these?” he inquired, giving up his struggling and fighting.

“Accept them and tell me that you agree to go out with me,” Asami answered, his grip easing on Akihito’s arm, “at least tomorrow evening.”

Akihito tipped back his head and took a deep breath, teardrops glistening in the corner of his eyes. He slowly and carefully reached out towards the bouquet, his fingers evading touching Asami’s skin. He pulled the flowers close to his chest, his breathing rushing, his face slowly blooming with crimson.

“I’ll think about it, but I don’t think I will go,” he answered finally, stepping towards the stairs leading back into the shop.

He left the door open and stopped in the middle of the corridor, looking back at Asami who still stood out in the alley, smoking his cigarette. He clutched the flowers hard, like grasping at a lifeline, and Asami could not help his hopes getting high up, the slight chance that the boy someday would be able to open up to him again and accept him like he used to dangling in front of his eyes.

“Are you coming or what?!” Akihito grumbled as he marched back to the door, “I don’t have the whole day babysitting you!”

This sounded almost like their old quarrelling, Akihito being impatient and cheeky, his sassy remarks igniting fires in Asami, his brevity and openness provoking immoral thoughts and desires.

“We have such a fine day today, Akihito, why wouldn’t you want to enjoy it fully to your heart’s content?” Asami asked, leisurely smoking his brand cigarette, “Maybe we could have lunch together.”

“No way, I am still on the clock and I’m sure that you also have somewhere to be, Asami-sama,” the boy countered, a childish grimace forming on his face, “So chop-chop, come in or I’ll shut you out!”

Asami couldn’t help but let a small laugh escape him, Akihito’s stern voice and threat entertaining him so much. He missed the boy, his manners and behaviour, his free spirit and the taunting way he spoke and joked with everyone. And he finally got a little fragment of it back, the small exchange between them soothing his aching soul and calming his mind.

“Actually I have a date with some members of the Diet and might be a bit late,” Asami explained as he followed Akihito back into the building.

They stopped by the changing room for the employees, Akihito putting the bouquet into a glass jug from one of the shelves from a tiny kitchenette. He placed them into his locker and slammed the metallic door shut, his back to Asami. But the man still could see the redness of the boy’s ears, him being a bit embarrassed because of the flowers.

“Go to your lunch date then,” the boy finally said as he turned back towards the man, “I’m surprised your underlings haven’t dragged you there yet.”

“They would drop dead before they could do something so violent to me,” Asami shrugged and he waited patiently as Akihito closed the door, fumbling with the keys.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side, like ever,” the boy mumbled under his nose and Asami couldn’t help but smirk at the comment.

“I wouldn’t harm you even if you asked for it,” he said before his brain could filter what he was about to say, and Akihito stopped dead in his track, his breathing hitching.

“Well, you already did,” he replied quietly and with only a few long strides he already left Asami behind, entering the café again.

Asami, cursing himself, walked out from the corridor, the change from the fluorescent lights to daylight almost blinding him, his eyes slowly adjusting to the sun shining so brightly from outside.

He looked at the counter and Akihito already stood behind it, his back to the costumers, his hands hurriedly and forcefully scrubbing a mug with the café’s logo on it. His shaking hands, skin red from the hot water and in patches covered in foam till the elbows, almost inclined that he could drop the cup anytime, breaking it into tiny little pieces.

“I’ll pick you up at eight,” the man said loud enough for the boy to hear, and when Akihito’s hand stopped for a moment, he knew that the time and place was set whether the boy liked it or not.

 

The violent sounds of some shooting videogame echoed in the stillness of the corridor, though other than that the fourth floor blended into the casual Thursday evening like it should have. Nearing closer and closer to the farthest flat on the floor, Akihito and co’s home, the sounds of the video game got louder and louder, the source of the disturbance palpable.

The thought of Akihito playing videogames brought back the memories of their first date, the boy being so passionate and outspoken, his shy and pure façade burning up with the heat of the make-pretend violence of the game. And Asami also cracked a half smile when he remembered how ashamed Akihito stood there, realizing his mistake, showing his true self to the man. And how he enjoyed those still second: the boy trying to grasp for a lifeline, trying to reclaim his cool and thinking of something to make Asami forget what he just saw, how he just cursed and acted like a sore loser.

He rang the doorbell and waited patiently, listening to every noise coming from the other side of the sturdy, hurriedly painted white door with the peephole reflecting the low lights of the corridor. First the sound of the frantic, mechanical shooting stopped then, in the stillness, Asami could hear a faint groan, the dragged out _uuugh_ Akihito so much liked to use, mostly unaware of it. He heard the shuffling and clinking of the keys, the nervous _chink chink_ showing how nervous Akihito felt.

“I’m not going anywhere, so go away,” the boy welcomed Asami as he flung the door open.

Indeed his clothing overstepped the boundary of “acceptable” at any given place but the ramen shop just around the corner, his lean, tanned legs sticking out from his almost too short shorts, his sun kissed torso hidden in a tight vest top.

“I intend to have dinner with you, and I would like to inform you that I am not at all picky of the whereabouts of the place,” the man cocked his eyebrow with satisfaction and he could feel his slow smirk crawling onto his face.

“I’m not going out anywhere, especially not with you,” the boy countered, his arms weaved in front of his chest, him leaning against the doorframe.

“Then we are having take-out,” Asami shrugged and he already stepped by Akihito, “Pardon my intrusion,” he said stepping out of his expensive Italian loafers in the ganken.

“Oi! I never said you could come in!” Akihito fumed, his boyish features turning a shade redder with anger.

“So what would you like to order? Of course, I am paying,” Asami lightly asked, he already leafing through the pamphlets and flyers laid out on the kitchen counter just next to the phone.

Akihito marched into the kitchen, his hands on his hips, his head held high. The kitchen definitely counted as small for two grown man, mainly because they stood each end of it, and Asami could touch Akihito’s chest without any struggle. The American counter separating the living room and the kitchen had some rolling shutters, they most of the time staying in an upper position.

“Seriously, don’t make yourself so comfortable! You invading my home wasn’t already enough?! My mom cannot shut up about you!” The boy grumbled and he opened the fridge to get a can of beer out of it, “Want some?” he asked glancing at Asami.

The man only smirked to himself; his plan to make his presence persistent and permanent in Akihito’s family a major success as the boy’s exclamation just assured him about it. He could almost see himself through the boy’s eyes currently: the fine features almost curling into some sort of a satisfied expression, his smugness beaming through the surface. He would have punched himself, were he in Akihito’s place.

“Seriously, though, go home, I’m in no mood to spend time with you,” Akihito sighed as he held out a can of beer towards Asami, his tiredness radiating from his voice and features.

If possible he had deeper and darker circles under his eyes, his skin tone tending towards white as a sheet instead of his usual, boyish pink. He definitely was not okay, though he tried to hide the fact.

“Where are your roommates?” Asami inquired, letting the questions regarding Akihito’s wellbeing remain untold.

“There’s this midnight premiere, they’re already queuing, or I don’t know,” the boy shrugged and he turned his back to Asami walking back to the couch and settling down again, putting his beer can onto the coffee table.

“Why aren’t you there?” Asami questioned again, the can freezing cold against his palm.

“I didn’t like the prequel,” Akihito answered and he picked up his controller to play further on with _Call of Duty_.

Asami wandered after him, sitting down onto the couch without any question. Akihito did not spare even a glance towards him, only concentrated on his current hostage negotiator mission, shooting the opposing soldiers square in the head and chest.

“You still haven’t told what you would like to order,” Asami concluded, shrugging out of his suit jacket and folding it onto the arm of the couch. He also loosened his tie and turned up his shirt sleeves, getting ready to join the game.

“I have some instant ramen, I can always eat it when I’m hungry,” Akihito answered franticly clicking on his controller, his thumbs moving with a mesmerizing speed, “Which I am not.”

Asami reached for the other controller placed on the table, and turned it on, the immediate blink of _Player 2 joined the game_ throwing Akihito out of his current mission. He angrily turned to the man and took a deep breath to start arguing, but instead closed his eyes and put his controller down onto his thigh.

“Let’s get some pizza,” he mumbled tiredly and leaned against the back of the couch, “To be honest I’m starving.”

“You just said you weren’t hungry,” Asami cocked his head to the right, his amused expression crawling back onto his face, “You’re such a whimsical creature.”

“And what if I am?” Akihito replied dully, playing with the right thumb stick of his controller, “I do what I want.”

And here it was, that childish pout, the way Akihito sulked. The adorable way how he scowled and frowned, how his lower lip stuck out just a little bit, the pinkness of the inside just flashing a tiny bit. It all drove Asami insane with desire, his only wish to push Akihito down and kiss him silly, kiss his pout away, almost getting the best of him. He missed the various expressions of the boy so much, the wide range of emotions clearly readable in every situation.

“I want pizza and assistance to finish this mission,” Akihito mumbled, his head tilted back to the back of the couch, “And I want to be able to sleep again without tossing and turning because of nightmares.”

So the boy indeed did not feel okay. He might have had a lighter case of PTSD. Not surprising, after the events he just went through, seeing people being killed right in front of him, blood splattering everywhere. He even lost one of his close friends because of some shooting. Of course he wouldn’t be okay, he was not used to these kinds of situations.

And Asami one more time felt the guilt welling up inside him, the thoughts that maybe he should have left Akihito out of further issues like this weighing down on him. He should have just upped and left, leaving the boy behind in his secluded, pure, normal world, letting him live like he used to, like he ought to.

But he could not do it, not anymore. He, himself, proved to be so selfish, not being able to let the boy back into his normal environment without the breeze of underworld enclosing him. He could not let the boy go, not anymore, because he decided to have him no matter what and he never gave up what he set his sight upon.

“What type of pizza?” Asami asked as he reached for his phone.

“I don’t know actually, give me a sec,” Akihito jumped up and down like a little kid, probably from the thought of getting pizza.

He shot up from the couch and breezed into his room, soon returning with an old and tattered laptop, the surface covered with various, colourful stickers. It gave a wheezing sound as Akihito started it up, its cooler grumbling like crazy, giving an uninvited background noise to their activities.

“Can we have Domino’s?” Akihito asked excited, “I love Domino’s! They have the best pizza in the whole wide world, I’m not kidding!”

The boy skimmed through the website while Asami only checked some business e-mails and tomorrow’s schedule, deciding whether he could stay the night or would rather leave however late it is. Though he still could not get Akihito’s desperate “ _I want to be able to sleep again_ ” sentence out of his mind. How could he help the boy get rid of his nightmares? What would be the perfect solution? Of course having him fucked senseless and dead tired was always an option, but now he could not do it. Not yet.

The second option, the one that obviously presented itself, was to get the boy dead drunk and maybe he would not have unnecessary things in his head while sleeping, the alcohol knocking him out entirely.

“So, I want a Quattro Meat The World, a large one with cheesy crust and also… uuum,” Akihito excitedly listed, “This one, the grilled chicken teriyaki with cheesy crust and oh god, I want desserts!”

If Akihito kept up eating so much junk food he’d gain back the lost weight in no time, and Asami were more than happy to help the boy get back onto the healthy side.

“They have crepes! Can you believe it?” Akihito exclaimed in wonder, his cursor zooming on the picture of some crepes, “Why do they have crepes?”

Asami couldn’t help, Akihito’s adorable childish excitement simply made him laugh out loud, his deep rumbling echoing in the living room, and sounding so far away from his usual composed tone. But Akihito made him like this, he laughed out loud, he expressed his emotions so intensely and so freely, like he never did before.

Him being the prominent first son, the eminent student and first in class and school, professional in sports and hobbies, he could never let himself free. And now, meeting Akihito, being with the boy, he started to make up for years and years of emotional deficiency.

“Why are you laughing at me?” Akihito gaped at him, his childish pride hurt, “You think I’m a kid! Just say it out loud!”

"No, I would have never say… I mean think something like that,” Asami grinned, his hands up in the air in a defensive position.

“You. Are. SO. Mean,” the boy pouted then suddenly sprang onto Asami, kneeling half on the man’s thighs, his hand buried in Asami’s hair and ruffling the precisely gelled strands, “Mean if I tell you!”

Asami only laughed again, the dark mood from a few minutes before simply evaporating, and slowly Akihito’s laugh bubbled out of him, his distant self put on hold for a while. The man only hooked his arms around the boy’s waist and pulled him close, their chests pressing against each other’s.

“I think I might suffer from PTSD,” Akihito said surprisingly, and he also hooked his arms around Asami’s neck, his chin resting on the man’s shoulder, “I don’t feel normal anymore.”

They stayed glued together in their embrace for a few seconds, Akihito’s heart beating like crazy against Asami’s chest. The man could almost feel the fluttering _thu-thump thu-thump_ like his own, Akihito’s confused and disturbed feelings radiating from the tiny body enclosed between his arms.

“Okay, I’m ordering,” Akihito said as he squirmed against Asami’s arms and the man let him go, the boy climbing out of his lap and sitting back onto the other end of the couch, his legs folded under him.

Until they waited for the delivery, new missions started, them being a prefect team for hostage rescue or headquarter breaching or even runaway mission. Asami’s shots were spot-on, hardly ever missing the target, and his feelings of confusion surfaced as he realized that Akihito did not fear him even after seeing the man shooting not just in a game but in real life as well. Why did not the boy feel cautious around him?

He glanced at Akihito from the corner of his eyes, and he almost cracked up again, since the boy’s cute pink kitten tongue stuck out from between the tightly pressed lips, his concentration puckering his forehead. His eyes narrowed in concentration and his fingers clicked and clicked and clicked. Only the controllers’ violent treatment could be heard in the room besides Akihito’s occasional gasps and sighs of relief and, interestingly, the silence still felt comfortable and soothing.

“Pizza!!” Akihito jumped up when the doorbell rang and he dropped his controller onto the cushion, running for the door.

“Don’t leave your comrade behind!” Asami roared as Akihito’s character stopped moving and he needed to deal with the remaining soldiers shooting at them, “You are not devoted to this whole mission at all.”

“Shut up and give me the money, you said you’d pay,” Akihito grumbled, his whole body weigh hitting Asami on the shoulders as the boy leaned onto him, his arms sliding onto the man’s chest.

He paused the game, grabbed Akihito’s arms and pulled the boy down, their faces only a few inches from each other. They shared an intense gaze then he let Akihito’s arms go and reached for his wallet in his suit jacket.

He dropped the banknotes into the boy’s held out hand and leaned against the back of the sofa, the smell of oven warm pizza filling up the flat and his nose. The last time he had ordered pizza, and especially from Domino’s, happened more than three years ago, and at that time the initiator was his nosy sister. By himself he’d never think of something like that.

“You’re so fancy, I don’t want to see you eating pizza by hand because I think your image will crumble down,” Akihito commented as he plopped down back onto the sofa, the two large rectangular boxes and the smaller (with the crepes) already set down onto the coffee table.

He picked up one of the pizzas and put it down between them onto the cushion, the top leaned against the back of the couch. Asami watched intrigued as the boy pulled out one of the slices from the perfect circle, the cheesy crust immediately starting to leak and the gooey, liquid cheese flowing out.

“Oh, shit,” Akihito exclaimed as melted drops of cheese plopped down onto his bare thigh, hissing from the hotness, “I need a plate, I can’t take this,” he said as he shoved his slice into Asami’s hands, the man surprised form the sudden action.

After Akihito returned with two plates they put the game on hold and Akihito started to leaf through the channels, commenting on TV shows and idols and as he clicked through the various programs they ended up watching a documentary about some weird jungle animals by the Amazon and the hidden cultures and whatever.

“You are such a kid,” Asami finally commented when Akihito strategically ate the slices, leaving the crust for the last.

“This is the best part!” the boy argued as he set his plate down onto the coffee table, reaching for his lukewarm beer, “I mean of the pizza, not the documentary. Though I’m pretty sure that it’s more interesting being there. Have you ever been there?”

“I have visited South America, yes, but I have not specifically gone to the Amazon. Especially since it’s the biggest river of the world and quite long as well,” Asami shrugged and he also took a sip from his beer, “Why?”

Akihito’s mouth curled downward, his eyes evading looking at the man, his conscience clearly struggling. He looked like he was about to cry and shout, his skin slowly blooming with deep red. The boy finally took a deep breath ready to talk.

“I got an apprenticeship offer for a 10 months photo-documentary in South America.”

The silence that took over the room almost deafened Asami. Akihito casually dropping the fact that he might leave for 10 months slapped him harshly in the face. He put his plate and beer down onto the table and turned to the boy, waiting for anything further he might say, anything reassuring that he did not intend to leave for so long to the other end of the world.

“And I’m seriously considering accepting it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh mY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
> 
> Btw. white tulips = forgiveness ;))
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Till next time :33


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for being lost. Truly.
> 
> I had some issues to deal with.
> 
> Hope you all had a nice Christmas! :)

The last time Akihito had a good night’s sleep happened to be more than a month ago, on Asami’s birthday, the night before their break up. He missed the way he felt when he woke up: his joints popping loudly when he stretched his arms out wide, his lungs filling with air and his neck muscles whining thankfully when he cracked his head side to side. He missed it all, and also the satisfying feeling that he indeed slept through the night without sweating and moaning, running from guns and knives, looking at blood splattering everywhere in his dream and bolting up wheezing and out of breath, frightened to no end.

So, when his eyes fluttered open and closed slowly, still on the verge of sleep, the almost unfamiliar feeling of the full night of sleep, without any nightmares and tossing around, he just went through sobered him up instantly. He bolted up and almost fell off the side of his single bed, him balancing on the edge, strong arms entwined around his waist.

“It’s still early, go back to sleep,” the deep, familiar voice groaned in the greyness of the room, only a tiny bit of light seeping in between the window frame and the blinds.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Akihito asked, whispering for some reason like a high school kid hiding a girl in his room.

“Sleeping,” Asami answered naturally and he pulled Akihito closer to him, his head resting just by the boy’s thigh. Akihito could feel the hot breath from the man’s mouth burning his skin.

“I’m going to take a shower. I don’t want you to be here when I get back,” he said without any emotion and already leapt out of Asami’s grip, hurrying towards the bathroom.

He did not get into the shower; he only sat down onto the bath mat, his back to the cold tiles, his knees pulled up to his chest. He slept with Asami. Not having sex slept with him, just… slept. And he did not have any dreams, neither good nor bad ones. He felt rejuvenated and relaxed. He felt guilty and desperate, but still his body felt calm and energetic. His body clearly betrayed him, seeking refugee in Asami, and yet he almost felt like his old self.

_I can’t let him get under my skin again. I won’t survive if he throws me away one more time._

He replayed their conversation from yesterday but he could not get past the point of him telling Asami that he might leave for South America. The man’s face changed a shade though, he could tell even though the lights were dim in the flat, and for the first time in their whole relationship he felt like he had the upper hand. Finally, after they broke up, he had something surprising and shocking. He was the one casually dropping life changing facts. He felt a bit proud.

And besides being proud he felt desperate. Because what did he want to achieve with telling so dramatically to Asami that he might go to the other end of the world? He wouldn’t get a heartfelt confession with begging and tears not to go, he wouldn’t get any encouraging either. The man would casually accept the fact that his boy toy escaped and would look for a new one. He did not care for Akihito that much as to bind him.

“Shit,” Akihito cursed as he realized that he still hoped for the possibility that Asami would actually really care for him and his presence in the man’s life. “I’m such an idiot.”

When he got out of the bathroom Asami was not in his bed anymore, nor in his room. And Akihito filled up with gratefulness since he more than anything wanted to evade some awkward morning chitchat while both of them got dressed and tried to establish their relationship, the state they were on.

“I took the liberty to borrow your kitchen, Akihito,” Asami welcomed him when he stepped out of his room.

The man stood sharply on the other side of the counter, two plates with steaming hot pancakes already resting next to some glasses with orange juice in them. He looked so in place, even though he wore slacks and a tiny bit wrinkled shirt without the tie, his sleeves tucked up. He even wore Akihito’s green, embroidered apron from the shop, the one he kept at home for cooking. And radiated sexiness and power.

“I thought you’d understand that I don’t want you to be here,” Akihito commented while he approached the counter carefully, reaching for a glass.

“I understood it as not in your bed, and I am not in your bed anymore,” Asami smirked, rolling an omelette with chopsticks so casually that it was almost a sin.

“I meant it as not in my flat,” the boy hissed and he took the closest glass of OJ and gulped down half of its content, “Why are you so keen on keeping me company? What if my friends woke up and found you here?”

“They won’t, they stayed at my place courtesy of my cousin,” the man commented and he laid the omelette out onto a third plate, sprinkling chopped scallion on top and slicing it up.

“Why don’t you get yourself a wife and do all this lovey-dovey cooking for her while she has her manicure prepared? Or maybe she wouldn’t eat something like this? I wouldn’t expect anything less from Asami Ryuichi,” Akihito mumbled, a bit sour still and not less hostile.

“Akihito, you suffer from PTSD but have not visited a therapist, you keep on not eating and not sleeping, you try to drown yourself in video games and work. You need someone to take care of you, and you need to talk to someone professional. I can recommend a specialist to you,” Asami replied, only half turning towards the boy, “Until then I am here to help you through the rough.”

“You know who put me there? You! It was you!” Akihito shouted, surprising even himself with the sudden outburst so early in the morning

“Akihito, please,” the man started, but Akihito only held his hand up, silencing him viciously.

“I told you not to call my name! It hurts, my heart throbs and my mind runs wild when you say it so tenderly, I hate it, I hate it so much! I can’t just forgive you; I can’t just live life like nothing happened! Because it hurt like hell when you told me to fuck off! You rubbed salt in my wounds; you destroyed my self-confidence and my desire to ever love again! You trampled over everything that we had and left me stranded! And I can’t take it…”

Asami leaned onto the counter, his hands pushed against the cold, marble surface. His eyes focused on the boy, his features composed and calm.

“The words that came out that time were cruel and ruthless, and indeed, I aimed where I knew it would hurt the most. But in order to protect you it was inevitable,” he explained.

“Yes, you knew what would hurt, but it doesn’t mean that you did not agree with them! And you come around and around, trying to fetch me, trying to get me back but I still have not heard you say anything about being sorry. And I really want you to know that it hurt so much, it tore into my heart and soul and I could hardly breathe,” Akihito rambled, and he felt himself shaking and trembling with the anger boiling within him.

They stared at each other, none of them breaking the strict eye contact, waiting for the other to say something. Akihito waited for Asami to say that he was sorry, that he was really ashamed of the things he told and that he’d like to grovel and atone for his sins. And that he would do anything to get the boy back, to have him close and safe, and promise him never to leave again.

“I want you to leave my house now,” Akihito finally said coldly, his emotions getting the best of him, “I want you to leave me be because I don’t know any way where we could end up happy together. So please, just spare me another heartbreak and leave me alone.”

Asami did not move from his place in the kitchen, though his hands slowly curled into suffocating, tight balls, his knuckles turning white.

_Tell me you’re sorry, tell me you love me, tell me that you need me. Tell me not to go to South America. Tell me, please._

The minutes ticked by slowly, neither of them moving from their position, but their gazes were not interlocked anymore: Akihito more than anything tried to avoid looking at Asami and breaking down.

“Just get out,” he demanded quietly.

It took less than half a minute and Asami disappeared from the flat like he never even was there, leaving Akihito and his distorted thoughts behind.

 

Looking at the pictures on the second floor, the man sat in his regular spot in the shop. His cheeky goatee and stylishly gelled black hair complemented his wild features and the casual way he dressed: his t-shirt under the trademark leather jacket now a bright red, his dark navy jeans moderately tight, his brand sneakers immaculate.

“Akihito-kun,” he beamed at the boy, “You seem refreshed.”

Akihito nodded and put the cup of Macchiato in front of the man, the porcelain knocking against the wood sharply. He did not feel refreshed at all, he felt like shit for the past two weeks or so.

“Miamoto-sensei, how are you today?” Akihito asked, trying to sound social and normal. Not like the zombie he felt like.

“I am still taken aback and mesmerized by your talent, my _darling_ ,” the man laughed, the slight wrinkles around his eyes making him so much sexier.

“Thank you,” Aki smiled slowly, and he only looked at one of the pictures on the wall, a slow shutter picture from Roppongi.

“You’ve got the eye and I really would like to have you on my team during the documentary,” Miamoto-sensei told excitedly, “I know that you could be valuable to us, to _me_.”

Akihito felt himself blushing, his embarrassed smile unconsciously slipping onto his face. He felt appreciated and talented when he had a conversation with Sensei. He could feel his worth and the fact that he did not study for nothing. And when those black eyes locked on him, he felt like he got stripped of everything. He already experienced the same feeling, though when Asami looked at him he lost all of his resolves and rationalities, the eyes of a predator made him shrink into a tiny animal being hunted and gobbled up.

“Did you think about accepting my proposal? I will come here every day until you say yes!” the man chattered gladly, and he took a sip of his coffee, a moustache of cream appearing over his full lips.

“I… I still need some time to think, I’m sorry, I know that I am slow, but… I still need to think about it, Miamoto-sensei,” Akihito explained clumsily, his thoughts hopefully hidden on his face. He shouldn’t have thought of Asami because the thoughts rendered him oblivious every time he got there.

He still waited for a miracle, though Asami left without a word two weeks ago and he hasn’t heard anything from the man besides the occasional flowers sent to the shop to his name.

“I understand, for someone who is so connected to his roots it is a life changing experience and you need to think about it carefully, however I’d like to ensure you that I’d be there and I’d keep tabs on you so nothing could go wrong,” Sensei smiled encouraging,” Also, I have already told you not to call me Miamoto-sensei, call me Satoshi!”

Akihito shook his head lightly and turned on his heels to go back to the first floor, attending to the counter. He heard as Miamoto-sensei took his laptop out and started to work; he usually stayed in the café for long hours to select through pictures and e-mail them to various sites, answering e-mails and planning further trips. He sometimes asked Akihito’s opinion about his ideas and compositions, trying to convince the boy more and more to join him on the documentary trip.

As for the man and Akihito’s good relationship, it sprouted from pure luck. Sensei walked into the café on a hot August day, when Akihito was not present, and he saw the boy’s pictures, understanding the concepts and becoming immersed in them. Since then he visited the shop regularly, always spending time amongst Akihito’s pictures and gazing at them. And after Akihito’s return he proposed the boy the idea of them doing the documentary in South America together. It happened so simply yet so quickly. Like falling in love.

“I don’t like that goatee guy, he always pesters you,” Rina chimed as she hopped onto the counter, her long legs crossed, “He wants to charm your panties off.”

“I hate that word,” Akihito sighed and he continued to wipe the mugs on the shelves.

“What? Charm?” the girl grinned and un-crossed and re-crossed her legs, unconsciously attracting the attention of every male customer in the shop.

“You know which one,” the boy rolled his eyes and he placed the clean mugs onto the counters in scale of sizes.

“Do you wanna drop by my place tonight, Aki-chan?” Rina asked nonchalant, though Akihito could see her gazing at him intensely from the corner of her eye.

“You live with Asami, I won’t drop by. Ever,” he said strictly and turned his back to the girl to rewrite some items on the menu above.

“I hate the both of you, being the blockheaded idiots that you are,” Rina fumed, “But I hate that goatee guy the most because he wants to take you away from Ryu.”

Akihito hung his head and exhaled slowly. He definitely despised the topic of Asami, especially after the pricking feeling in his heart and the panging and longing. Asami casually accepted when Akihito told him to go away. He upped and left. He did not even glance back, did not try to fight for Akihito and for their future together. He just walked out of Aki’s flat and most probably life as well.

“Akihito-kun, can you help me a bit?” the boy heard Sensei’s voice from the stairs and he more than happily left Rina and his grim thoughts behind.

He was needed. Satoshi-sensei asked for his opinion on different subjects, the lighting settings and the shutter speed and basically discussed things with him, things that he could talk about and cared about. He felt appreciated and desired, and he already had his decision made for a long time now but he was afraid to admit it.

As he plopped down next to sensei, he was already swarmed with the negatives and the digital version of the photos, him leafing through them, paying attention to every detail. Every moment he dealt with photography his true self got on the loose, his desires and wishes in life to be a well-known photographer getting the best of him.

And the other self, the poor, countryside boy who worked as a barista and got charmed so easily and abandoned so harshly, started to dim in the distance, his ideals and story just vanishing into thin air.

“What do you say we grab dinner one of these days?” Sensei asked suddenly, and Akihito jumped in surprise when the man’s fingertips touched his shoulder, “I’m paying, of course.”

Akihito felt a slight sense of déjà vu, Asami inviting himself over to his place with the exact same words. Oh God, he needed to get rid of the thoughts about the man because he only got more and more bitter with the time passing. Their relationship proved to be toxic, their behaviour towards each other simply unbearable, and Asami’s nonchalantness, his blockheadedness and possessiveness, selfishness – they all drove Aki up the wall. He needed to stop the buzzing in his head when it came to Asami Ryuichi.

He definitely should have opened a new, clean sheet, leaving behind his life in the café and working towards his dreams as a renowned photographer. And he received the right push, the opportunity to step out of his box and get into something brand new.

“Sure, I don’t mind,” he smiled half-heartedly at Satoshi-sensei, his mind somewhere far far away.

“When are you finishing today then? I know this pretty, underground French restaurant in 2-chome, their escargot is magnificent!” Sensei rambled, his excitement and satisfaction almost palpable.

“At 7:30 pm,” the boy answered slowly, and he could feel the man pushing up to his side more and more familiarly.

“Then I’ll collect you at 7:30!” Satoshi sensei grinned and he started to pack his stuff into his shoulder bag, the negatives and printed photos tossed into his laptop. Akihito unconsciously cringed seeing the rough treatment of Sensei’s precious work, but did not say anything, just hoped that when the time comes, his work won’t be mistreated that much.

 

The late September warmness slowly faded into a chilly autumn evening and as Akihito stepped out onto the street a light breeze made him cringe, goose bumps covering all of the bare flesh on his arms and legs. Sensei indeed waited for him by the shop’s entrance, him wrapped in his trademark leather jacket and jeans, his warm features lighting up when he spotted the boy. He did not have his shoulder bag with him anymore: the things he carried in it mostly were needed to his work.

He grabbed Akihito’s arm and started to drag the boy through the evening cavalcade of people, the salarymen and –women going home and the tourist wandering around aimlessly merging into one huge crowd that swallowed up everyone who attempted to glide through. They bumped into people, however sneakily they tried to navigate through the mass and finally Sensei dragged him towards a back alley and they could breathe again. 

They only stood by the opening of the alley for a few minutes, watching the crowd and discussing how they could make the best of it on a picture, what techniques would be the most beneficial in order to give back the liveliness of evening Shinjuku.

Akihito enjoyed every second he talked about his interest, his favourite hobby and of course the future path he decided to make his living from. And finally he had an equal who could really appreciate his comments and ideas, who could give advice and guide him through some rough patches, softening his ideals on the edges. 

Sure, he talked about photography with his friends in the beginning but they couldn’t really appreciate his enthusiasm and ideas, and they could not get that overly excited as he usually got. So in the end he just repressed his outbursts and got used to the fact that nobody would appreciate when he rambled on and on and on about slow shutters and aspect ratios and different kinds of lenses and so on. Though it was okay in the end.

But now he finally had someone and could let himself swept away with his interests and he felt so grateful and lucky because he actually could discuss this issues with a renowned photographer who participated in the scene for more than fifteen years now, his first spread out in magazines from when he was sixteen.

They wandered through the back streets, still talking about the different techniques and the cameras they’d use and Akihito felt rejuvenated and excited. He felt like saying yes more and more, hearing about the equipment Sensei usually used and the interesting settings he experimented with and the venues and the people. Akihito was sucker for the whole thing, excitedly reacting to each and every interesting and funny fact and anecdote Sensei told him and he could imagine himself more and more in the same settings. 

He could do it. He could just up and leave for South America. He felt the resolves hardening in him, felt the decision forming and his mind clearing.

He was going to go to South America.

He was going to leave Asami behind. And hopefully he could forget about the man.

As they glided through 2-chome, the familiar scene Akihito got used to when he worked as a bartender in Asami’s bar, opened up in front of them, said bar just nestling in the cosy half-darkness of the neon-lit streets with people swarming through it. 

This place unintentionally made Akihito’s throat a bit tighter, his memories of him elbowing Asami in the face now bright as the Sun. He could just imagine as the unguarded man received the bony elbow in his face, his surprised expression taking over his usually calm and collected façade. It seemed that Akihito could surprise the man exactly two times during their relationship: in the beginning as he almost broke his nose and in the end when he told him that he’d leave the continent for good. At least he gave a right frame to the past cca. 6 months.

The French restaurant just stood some building down the road and when they entered the buzzing of the silent chatters and the calming clinking of cutlery and china instantly soothed Akihito’s mind. He couldn’t get out of the swamp whenever he thought of Asami - he always ended up struggling until he sank deeper and deeper.

It seemed that Sensei was a regular as they were almost instantly lead to one of the tables in the back, the intimate dimness of the light and the space between the tables providing a perfect rendezvous spot. And for the first time Akihito remembered Rina’s nagging voice about how Sensei would like to steal him from Asami. Not that he needed to be stolen since they were not necessarily together, but still he did not need another courting so soon from someone with fame, power and fortune. He already had his fair share of those kinds of men for a while for good.

Sensei took up the role to order for them, his perfect French making Akihito almost keel over and die considering his significant problems with his English to begin with. He couldn’t even imagine speaking another foreign language on such a high level. He felt content with his Japanese and yet he needed to realize that his closed, secluded word restricted him to no end and his inability to communicate on any other language rendered him incapable and powerless.

_I bet Asami speaks perfect English, French, German and Mandarin. Maybe Spanish._

And here he was, thinking about Asami again and complaining about him in his mind. But he couldn’t just weed out the man from his mind to never to return. The idea of Asami Ryuichi was persistent and he could not get rid of him however hard he concentrated. You know how it goes: the harder you don’t want to think of something the clearer the picture becomes. It was the same with Asami in his mind. Whatever he did he got reminded of the man and his breathing would hitch and his mind would get dazed and he could run out of the world because the man did not leave him alone even for a second of the day.

And he declined his sex friend offer, he said that he did not want to have this kind of relationship but a real one. He wanted to get back together with Akihito just the way they were before and his words and actions from before and now were so contradictory and he just walked out of his life and now he sure as hell had a new boy toy or girl toy or whatever toy and Akihito was the only one suffering from their separation and thinking 24/7 of the man. And he started to get enough.

“Akihito, taste this wine, I find this year especially delicious,” Satoshi-sensei nudged his leg under the table and Akihito finally shook himself out of his mind numbing self-scolding and desperation.

He reached for his wine glass and without a second thought gulped down the whole content of it, surprising both Sensei and the wine waiter standing by their table. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and put the glass down a little bit harder then necessary onto the white tablecloth.

“Indeed it is very mellow,” Akihito smiled and he waited for the waiter to pour him another glass, now savouring the drink. He did not want to think about the fact that he learned the adjective from Asami on one of their previous outings.

Akihito could feel as Sensei examined him quite intrigued from behind his own glass, his questions almost written on his face. And the boy felt a bit self-conscious and embarrassed because he did not concentrate on his current partner in crime: their intense talking from before now only a slight memory of the night. They have not even talked a word since they entered the whole place and as Akihito glanced onto his phone screen it was more than 15 minutes ago.

“You know, for a 23 year old fresh graduate with a baby face you sigh a lot,” Sensei started and Akihito almost chocked on his wine because of the blatant sentence.

“I mean, everyone has their own issues, no?” he countered trying to cover a red splotch on the tablecloth from the wine, “They are not necessarily connected to age and gender and appearance. And I don’t have a baby face.”

“What a cheeky response, _darling_ ,” the man giggled, his smiling wrinkles raking through his handsome face, “This is the most alive I’ve seen you for a while now. So tell me, _chérie_ , what is it that weighs down your pure, young heart?”

Akihito, for a slight moment, considered telling Sensei all of it. How Asami charmed him and brought him in, how he got courted and amazed and spoiled and fucked and loved, or as it turned out pretend-loved, and how mercilessly he got kicked to the curb and how they somehow reconciled but not and how he could not understand the rich and the famous and their train of thoughts.

“Oh, just the usual. Student loans, fear of the future and a healthy amount of jealousy ‘cause I wouldn’t be able to finance a dinner at a fancy place like this,” he shrugged in the end, reaching for the wine glass again taking smaller sips though still too frequent ones.

“You shouldn’t worry, Akihito,” Sensei smiled at him encouragingly, his hand cradling Akihito’s abandoned one on the table, “You are still young and still have time to define yourself. Being in your twenties is only trying to find yourself. This is the time where you should and definitely can experiment because society doesn’t frown upon you. This is the time to get wild and changed. Go backpacking in Europe, get lost in a foreign city without knowing the language, try something new, find a new hobby and realize that you suck in it. Try having sex with someone you would never have guessed you would, explore your sexuality and desires, your kinks and fantasies. Try to change the world and fail miserably, but realize that it is okay to change only one person’s world and that is yours, my dear. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, everything will work out in the end. You are not expected to find your 9 to 5 job right away, to secure your finances and your home for the rest of your life. And you are definitely not expected to find your one true love, the one that you want to live your life with for as long as you can imagine. Of course it is a plus, but you need to understand that in your twenties you are not the refined adult you think you are, you make mistakes and one too many people will cross path with you. There will be ones that will stay and there will be ones that will leave. And it might happen that you will have that one that got away, the one that you will think back down on the road, ten, twenty, thirty years from now and will wonder how their life is going. And it is just okay.”

Akihito only sat in silence, watching the sloshing of the remainder of his wine in his glass, thinking about the last part of the life lesson. The one that got away. The one that you will wonder about how their life turned out. Will it be the same for him with Asami? Even though they had a short-lived romance, it was a whirlwind, a chaotic meeting of two different people on two different paths, colliding and mixing up with together. The relationship that turned his world upside down, the desire that burnt him up from the inside out, the love that rendered his brain speechless and powerless whenever he understood its weigh. He wouldn’t be able to truly forget Asami’s being. He would always get back to him, Google him, stalk him to see how the man has grown, how he stepped higher and higher on the success ladder. He would die a little each and every time, but he would do it nonetheless. Because he got captured and wounded and the scar would never be able to fully heal, he would always see and feel it, and maybe he could put it on a backburner, but on some days it would come back and make him unable to even get up from his bed.

And yet he wanted to move on. He decided to move on and he had every intention to step over this issue and start anew. And the opportunity just sat across the table, Satoshi-sensei almost stalking him for that bloody yes about his participation in the documentary.

Still he could not say that one word because he still feared that he indeed would have Asami as the one that got away. Shit, he was definitely not some mewling quim, some damsel in distress, some lovesick puppy and fool who would pine over someone in hopes of the impossible, but a tiny part of his soul still hoped for it. Still hoped for his love getting reciprocated, the love of his life acknowledging and realizing his own feelings. What a foolish thing to do.

He drank the remainder of his wine, and it almost instantly hit him in the head, the alcohol making him squeamish and weak, his head dizzy and his thoughts distorted. He was not accustomed to wine: he never really drank it because it was fancy and expensive, so the last few glasses, he could not even remember the amount, just got him on the spot. He knew that if he stood right up he would keel over, sprawling ungracefully onto the floor, his incoordination legendary when he got shitfaced drunk. And right now he could feel said shitfacedness coming up.

They were still in the middle of the main course, still having half of the delicious food before them and the dessert, which Akihito did not crave but definitely wanted to order, because he hoped that he could sit out the drunkenness and wait for it to disappear. Making an idiot out of himself definitely did not belong to his plans for the night and embarrassing Sensei at his frequently visited place neither.

He reduced himself answering with yes or no and, if inevitable, two-three word answers. He tried so hard to keep himself together, but the waves of drunkenness, the funny episodes kept surfacing. He thought of going to the restroom to just throw up, ridding his system from the alcohol, but he still did not trust himself with walking. And they were almost at the end of the main course.

“I would love to show you the place’s crème brulée, if you don’t mind, Akihito,” Sensei smiled at him when the waiter pushed up the desserts’ trolley to their table.

“Sure, whatever,” Akihito murmured, concentrating on a single strawberry placed on top of a cake, and wondering how it wouldn’t fell off (because of the cream).

“Also, some macaron and angel wings,” the man explained and Akihito still couldn’t tear his sight from the strawberry. He wanted to eat it. He should have just reached out to it and grab it. Sure it wouldn’t be a problem…

He did not even consider his act his left hand was already reaching for the fruit, though, before he could have been able to touch it, someone grabbed his wrist stopping his motion. For a second he thought that the waiter got pissed off and now he’s going to be scolded and they’d be humiliated with Sensei in the middle of the fancy restaurant, but when he looked closer he could see finely manicured fingers, shiny cufflinks and the dark graphite colour of a fancy suit.

Asami.

“What the fuck?” he shouted unintentionally when his train of thoughts reached its end, “What are you doing here?”

Everyone in the restaurant looked at their table with piqued interest. Indeed Asami stood there, grabbing the drunken Akihito’s wrist, and Satoshi-sensei half lifted up from his chair to get to be Akihito’s saviour.

“Would you mind explaining who are you and why are you clutching my partner’s hand so tight?” Sensei asked surprisingly calm, yet with a dangerous edge.

“I came to collect _my_ drunken hot mess because in two minutes he will keel over and vomit onto the carpet,” Asami explained lowly, and his tone also contained a dangerous edge. “Please, in the future, refrain from unnecessarily making people drunk in order to get laid, Sensei,” he snarled at the other man.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Sensei arched his eyebrow to the accusation, “He decided to drink himself into oblivion. And it seems we found the cause of it.”

Asami glanced at Akihito from the corner of his eyes and took a deep breath. Like lightning he already had his arms under Akihito, and he easily lifted the boy up causing more havoc in the place with Akihito’s squealing and shouting and screaming.

“Put me down you asshole!” the boy exclaimed, kicking and wiggling.

“Akihito, if you continue like this you’re going t…” Asami started and in the next moment Akihito’s vomit hit the shoulder of his expensive suit jacket, the disgusting goo slowly flowing down onto the back of his garment. “…to throw up, yes.”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Akihito wheezed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “I’ll pay for it!”

“No, it’s okay,” the man sighed and he started to walk into the direction of the restrooms. “Let’s clean up first, then we can talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update soon again - hopefully latest next weekend.
> 
> Love you all and really sorry for making you wait.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mark my words: Don't fall in love. :(

Akihito instantly sobered up. As he was sitting on the top of the toilet lid, his knee supporting the door open, he watched Asami gracefully slid out of his puke-patterned Armani suit jacket. Carefully the man folded the garment in half by the length, the goo staying inside, then folded it again so only a medium sized rectangular shaped cloth remained. Then, like he would do with a piece of wet paper towel, he dropped the expensive piece into the trash bin, the slow creaking of the rocking lid echoing in the room. Akihito held his breath and waited for Asami to say something. Anything. Most probably reprimanding him. _But please, oh God, say something!_

The man only raked his fingers through his gelled up bangs, messing up the masterpiece, and sighed heavily. He crossed his arms in front of his torso and leaned against the counter behind him.

“You okay, Akihito?”

The concern in his voice almost made Akihito throw up again. True, the moment his puke hit Asami’s back he sobered up, his mortification though just started to settle in. He puked on Asami. Actually puked. With pieces of food and gallons of liquid, smelly and disgusting. He would have laughed if he didn’t feel the urge to scram out of Asami’s view in matter of seconds. 

The man cocked his head to the right, fixating Akihito with a calm, composed look on his face, and oh-so-perfect mask of nonchalance.

He waited patiently for the boy’s answer.

“I’m… fine. I guess,” Akihito replied slowly. His mouth tasted disgusting, and the acids crawled on his teeth and tongue, but besides that he felt okay. “Would you mind getting me a glass of water and a piece of gum?” he asked slowly and politely, uncertain whether Asami was in the mood of being asked for favours.

The man nodded slowly and walked out of the restroom, leaving Akihito alone with his thoughts and shame. The door creaked on its rusty hinges as it rocked back to place.

The boy only pushed his face up to the cool tiles of the bathroom, his blood rushed face almost sizzling, his skin happily whining because of the cool touch.

He looked up and, to his utter mortification, he stared right at his pitiful self in the mirror. His hair dishevelled, his clothes wrinkly and tiny pieces of vomit drying on them, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale as a ghost. Wonderful, just wonderful.

“Damn if I’m not the biggest loser of the world,” he sighed to himself and closed his eyes as to not see his disgraced self.

Seconds became minutes, and Asami didn’t reappear. After the ordeal of being shouted at, fought against and vomited on, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finally gave up on Akihito. And that’d be the best for the both of them. There is a limit of people willing to fight for something or someone and, with this stunt, Akihito might just have pushed Asami further than the man was willing to go.

“Please, God, just let me die in peace in this shady toilet of a French bar,” he murmured, his exhaustion taking over his senses.

“Not today, Akihito,” he heard Asami’s tender baritone, and his eyes shot open.

“Oh, you came back,” Akihito wondered in surprise, “I thought you finally had enough.”

Asami held a tall cocktail glass in his right hand; his left hand clutched around something, most probably some medicine. Looking at it closely, the tall glass contained some greenish-brownish liquid, similar to the colour of puke Akihito would have admitted his.

“Why wouldn’t I come back?” Asami asked a bit worried, and he squatted in front of the boy, “You look sick.”

“I feel sick,” Aki growled, “where’s my water?”

“I brought you something better, that took me for a while to make. But I’d never abandon you, especially when you are in need,” the man explained and he held out the glass for Akihito to take.

“Oh, my prince charming, art thou too good to be true or what?” Akihito rolled his eyes and took the glass from the man. He held out his other hand obediently, waiting for the pills.

Asami dropped two Advil-looking medicine in his palm and waited for them to disappear with the liquid he whipped up. He examined Akihito closely, his amber eyes changing slightly in the dim light of the bathroom. His pupil contracted, the molten gold colour taking over most of the iris. What did they say? When you look at someone you have strong feelings (love) for your pupil grew smaller? 

Akihito, from the thought of Asami having strong feelings for him, felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter all over again. The clean cut he wished for, the trip to South America, seemed so far away right now. Falling back in love with Asami and having his heart broken again seemed so compelling in the hidden back of this underground restaurant in 2-chome. In this world only the two of them existed, him sitting awkwardly and still a little drunk on the toilet lid, and Asami half kneeling in front of him as the prince who wishes to take the princess for himself. Or, in this case the prince who wishes to free Cinderella from her cruel reality.

Asami’s watchful eyes still burned his skin, and his redness came back as though it has never disappeared thanks to the cool tiles. The scrutinizing gaze made even breathing hard for him, his own eyes tried to pry Asami’s away from himself. He started to feel lightheaded again and it was not thanks to the alcohol anymore. Asami’s undivided attention almost brought out the worst of him, again.

“What?” he asked, his voice stronger than he expected it to be.

“Take the meds, drink the shake, and lets go,” Asami said, his voice a bit irritated, but nonetheless adoring.

“Sure,” Akihito sighed and he popped the bitter pills onto his tongue. He took a long swig from Asami’s cocktail and almost threw up again as the unknown ingredients hit his tongue. “What the fuck, are you trying to poison me?” he wheezed as he pushed out of the cubicle, and started to gulp down the water from the tap. It felt gratifying drinking something so tasteless and pure. Not like Asami’s wishy-washy that he put down onto the counter, far away from him.

“I don’t intend to poison you, however you do it to yourself with drinking this nearly sewer-water that comes from the tap. Also, you need to calm down, you’re shaking,” Asami answered unflustered.

Indeed, Akihito felt the slight trembles running through his hands and his torso, but he thought it was because he got worked up. He slumped down onto the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly. He thought about his bed, the soft pillows and the warm duvet that kept him on the right temperature during this crazy fall weather outside.

“Come on, Akihito, let’s go home,” Asami walked up to him, and reached out his hand to provide some grasping to the boy.

Akihito tried to lift up his hand, tried to reach for Asami, but he couldn’t, his limbs started to give up on him, a dull, but not uncomfortable numbness started to spread throughout him.

“You did poison me,” he groaned through gritted teeth as he tried to will himself to move.

“It seems the sleeping pill starts to kick in,” Asami mused and he squatted to take up Akihito into his arms.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Aki mumbled on the verge of sleep.

“Of course you will, Akihito,” the man smirked, and adjusted the half-sleeping boy in his arms. Akihito half-consciously hooked his arms around Asami’s neck in order not to fall. “Good boy,” Asami noted and he walked out of the restroom, rocking Akihito into a deep and steady sleep.

 

When Akihito came to, he was bundled up in a big duvet like a cocoon ready to burst, freeing a wonderful butterfly. In this case though it was only him, nothing so wonderful. He sat up, still clinging onto his dream about being a well-known portrait photographer who had to shoot a naked portfolio of Asami for a global magazine.

As he popped his joints and yawned heavily, he felt the slight bugging feeling that something was not right. He stood up slowly, feeling his hangover hit him right in the face and as he started for the door, he stumbled multiple times. Though the door, as he realized it too late, opened onto a balcony. That he did not have. And Asami’s bedroom neither on that side.

He stepped out onto the mildly cool floorboards and took in the beautiful scenery that welcomed him. The Fuji not so far from him emerging from the wilderness, the blue sky and the white puffy clouds all gave a calming feeling. The smell of pine trees and the chirping of the birds made him feel like home. But he was still in the middle of bloody nowhere, preferably in a forest. 

Just where the hell did Asami drag him this time?!

“Aki-chan, you up?” Rina barged into his room, dressed in a little bit revealing kimono that perfectly complemented her delicate features and her long hair that the girl dyed black evidently.

“Why am I not surprised that you are here as well?” the boy sighed and slumped onto the handrail, still enjoying nature.

“Why would I miss the event of the year?” she grinned and walked up to Akihito.

She took him by the hand and pulled him back into the room, closing the door behind them. Now that Akihito looked around the room, he realised the traditional elements that surrounded him. The futon on the tatami, the rice paper traverse and the low ceilings with the lamps. Everything was clear now. 

No, not really.

“What event of the year?” he asked, remembering Rina’s last words.

“Ssshh!” the girl shushed him as she plastered her ears on the wall farthest from the boy.

“Where are we?” Akihito inquired hurriedly and he walked up next to the girl, “Why am I here?”

“Shut up, Aki-chan, I’m trying to eavesdrop!” she pouted and plastered her hands on the boy’s mouth, just a bit slapping him in the nose.

“Who are you eavesdropping on?” someone asked from behind Akihito, and the boy almost jumped in surprise.

“Just Ryu and mum, they were just arguing a second ago,” Rina answered absentmindedly.

“Now really?” the newcomer asked and, though Akihito already knew, Rina just realized who joined their group.

“Ryu! Hey! What’s up? You look dashing!” she babbled, trying to save face – though it seemed impossible looking at Asami.

“Rina, please let Akihito rest, he had a long night yesterday,” Asami shushed the girl and grabbed her shoulder, “Get out of here until I count to three!”

“I’m not afraid of you, Ryuichi!” she stomped her feet, getting ready to fight it out between siblings.

“Of course you’re not, you just know when to give up, and it is during times like this,” Asami smirked, “One.”

“You are so unfair, Aki-chan was my friend first!” Rina wailed, and she grabbed Akihito’s arm for support, “right, Akihito? You want me to stay here with you, right?”

Akihito only looked at Rina then to Asami who’s gaze could have burnt up a thousand villages and could have killed three million citizens. He considered staying as the middleman but he also wanted out and his only comrade in it would have been Rina. On the other hand, Asami dragged him there and most probably he had the authority to get him out of there as well.

“Two,” Asami counted coolly.

“I think you should go, Rina,” the boy said apologetically and felt as the girl’s grasp loosened on his arm.

“Traitor,” she pouted and she was already sashaying towards the door that Asami left slightly ajar. With a cheeky wink back to Akihito she shut it close behind herself.

Neither Asami nor Akihito said anything for the time being, only their slow breathing and the dimmed chirping of the birds broke the silence. Akihito had a thousand or more questions, but did not know where to start. Right now the question of their location was the most important, but he did not feel like asking it. He looked at Asami, who stood next to the balcony door, his eyes gazing towards nothingness, his profile the perfectly sculpted one that Akihito came to love highlighted by the morning light. The man looked tired and troubled, his eyes reflecting just a tiny bit of sadness and giving-up.

“Are you okay?” Akihito asked before he could think twice, and the question pulled Asami back to reality.

“I am perfectly fine, Akihito,” he answered slowly, the words teasingly slowly rolling down his tongue, “And yourself?”

“I will survive,” the boy shrugged and his gaze wandered down Asami and his unusual attire, “Why are you wearing _wafuku_?”

Asami sighed slightly then walked up to the closet and opened the door. It was full of different traditional clothes as well, though mostly with feminine patterns. The man turned back to Aki and stepped out of the way from between the boy and the closet.

“Choose one to your liking, without it you can’t exit this room,” he said and he walked out to the balcony, putting a cigarette into his mouth that appeared from a hidden pack from an inner pocket of the man’s kimono.

Akihito walked up to the closet and started to leaf through the patterns, all of the kimonos silky to the touch. Most of them indeed were flowery patterns on light coloured material, but there were also some darker colours with smaller flowers and less flashy. But they were still women’s kimonos.

“Where do I get one that is cool like yours?” the boy asked Asami when he finished with the clothes, “One that doesn’t look like I’m a drag queen, you know.”

“Those are the ones that are expected to fit you, I asked the servants to gather them from my mother and Rina’s closets,” Asami shrugged and butted his cigarette on the railing, flicking the remains into the woods.

“What if you set fire to the forest?” Akihito asked a bit reprimanding.

“I’d be the happiest in the whole wide world if this place were to burn to the ground,” Asami deadpanned.

“I feel some sorry-ass, tragic back-story coming up. And I don’t care. Let me go home, you damn caveman!” Akihito exclaimed, starting for the door, “It’s low even for you to kidnap me!”

“I had no choice,” the man replied tiredly and he walked back to the closet, lifting out a garment from it and sizing it up with Akihito in the background.

“What do you mean you had no choice?” Akihito roared, “You are all but choices, you have such a good life! So don’t give me this crap! You made me crumble and emotionally break down, then you drugged me, kidnapped me, brought me to the middle of nowhere and… now what? What exactly are you planning to do with me right now?”

“Please, Akihito, calm down,” Asami held up his hands in a peaceful motion.

“Then answer me: where are we? Why am I here? Why can’t you let me be?” the boy went hysteric slowly, his mind slipping into madness.

“We are in Kyoto, in the main house,” Asami answered obediently, “You are here because I want to prove you that I am willing to give up everything in order to be with you. That is, I am going to give _Sion Group_ to my mother and Rina, and leave Japan with you for South America.”

“No, you won’t,” Akihito replied flabbergasted.

“Yes, I will,” Asami nodded.

“No, you won’t,” the boy said again trying to grasp for the last remnants of his sanity, “I won’t let you.”

“Then how can I prove it to you that my intentions of winning you back are indeed true?” Asami asked, tiredness taking over his well-composed façade, “Whatever I intended to do you just simply shot down. I have limited options left, and this is one of them.”

“For God’s sake, just say that you love me and you apologize for saying those words! Tell me not to go to South America and not to leave you because you need me!” Akihito shouted, having had enough, “Just act like a human being for once, and not the perfect android that you pose to be. Accept the fact that you made a mistake and you need to atone for it. It is not that hard, me and 7 billion other people do it day to day.”

Asami only looked at the boy wondering, his mouth pressed into a straight line. His ice cold gaze clashed with Akihito’s and his breathing seemed to quicken.

“ _Sion Group_ is my child, there is no way I would give it up to that stupid woman or Rina,” Asami smirked and turned back towards the closet to pick another kimono that could fit Akihito, “And thank you for your contribution, I did not know that you were such a hopeless romantic.”

Akihito only stood rendered speechless, trying to progress what just happened. Asami drugged him, kidnapped him, took him to Kyoto (or maybe he lied about it as well), then lied to him about his intentions and then made fun of him. He felt like blowing up and burning up everything and everyone.

“’kay, I’m outta here,” he said brusquely and ran for the door, tearing it open and exiting onto the corridor.

He ran down a long corridor, passing many and many traverses and ended up in a main hall kind of room, huge marble stairs leading down towards an ornamented mahogany gate. He could hear Asami’s hurried tak tak tak in the geta he worn, his running sounding more hurried behind him.

_Where do I run? Where do I hide? Where?_

Akihito took the steps three-four at a time, and jumped from the 8th, his bare feet slapping heavily against the floor, sending painful shivers up his spine. He reached the door and tore it open, running out into freedom, though his vigour only lasted until he realized that he actually stood in the middle of the forest, probably a billion miles away from even a main route, not to mention Kyoto itself.

“Fuck,” he wheezed and he started to jog again, his advantage on Asami dangerously disappearing.

He ran for the woods, though he did not know whether it was still the Asamis’ property or it was actually nature belonging to Japan. 

He jumped through bushes, and scratched every visible surface of his skin outside his shorts and t-shirt, his feet broke out with painful blisters. He needed to head somewhere, tough without aim he could have easily gotten lost. But it was better than being treated as an idiot, and being lied to. He told the bloody truth to Asami, he told him what he wanted to hear and in exchange he received a degrading comment and not even pitying words. He had enough.

He just ran through a clearing when a shot was fired, rubble and pieces of bark flying from the tree on Akihito’s left.

“Stop right there!” a woman’s strict voice called out to him.

Stopping dead in his track, Akihito even lifted his arms in defence to make sure everyone knew he was not armed. His strange position started to tire him out rapidly, but he did not dare to move until he knew he was safe to go.

He heard the thumping of horseshoes, the someone closing in on him slowly, probably the rifle aimed straight at him. Dying here in the middle of Kyoto forest did not sound as charming as living sounded like, and he brought up every little reason as to why he needed to trespass. Hell, he could have just said the truth: how Asami kidnapped him and took him out here and how he just wanted to escape. Sure as hell others knew how strange the Asamis were.

“Who are you and what are you doing in this private area? I hope you are in peace with yourself because I can easily end your miserable life, boy,” the woman in an elegant kimono came up to him on a beautiful dark brown mare, her rifle dead-on aimed at Akihito.

“I… I am…” the boy stuttered, “my name is… Takaba Aki… hito.”

“Takaba-kun, what brings you out in the middle of nowhere in such shameful dressing?” the huntress inquired, sizing up Aki.

“I was kidnapped… and held… captive against… my will,” he wheezed, a panic-attack threatening him because of the closeness of a firearm that could have easily ended his life. The painful flashbacks from Korean-incident, as he labelled it in his mind, hit him square in the chest.

“Kidnapped and held captive…” the woman pondered, “Interesting.”

Akihito couldn’t take it any longer, he collapsed onto his knees and felt like he was about to suffocate; his windpipe closed shut, his mouth gasping for air like a fish. He couldn’t feel the air moving to and from his lungs at all, he could only clutch against his tightening throat in fear.

The last thing he saw before his vision started to blur was the back of the woman as she rode away on his horse, leaving him die in the middle of nowhere, all alone.

“Akihito!” Asami’s voice came and soon he arrived on a graphite coloured horse, hurriedly stopping next to Akihito. He landed next to the boy and made him change from his kneeling to sitting down, pushing his head between his bent knees and forcing him to calm down.

It did not help, Akihito still couldn’t make himself breathe, his vision went pitch black and the trembling of his body took up most of his energy. He could still only see down the barrel of the rifle, imagining how the bullet flew out of it and hit him in the chest and in the head, his intestines and bloody bits of brain exploding from out of his body.

In the next moment, though, he felt warmth and safety, his mind slowly clearing and the knot in his throat loosening up. He was being kissed, the kiss easing him up and taking off his mind from the unpleasant memories and unnecessary pictures. He clung to his saviour like a lifeline, reciprocating the kiss and taking in the taste of the expensive cigarettes and the smell of leather and citrus that surrounded him. They were both familiar, the feeling of home and steadiness.

Asami.

He opened his eyes and was almost blinded, the midday sun shone brightly, providing perfect light for the happenings. Asami knelt formally next to him, and Akihito realized that his head rested on the man’s lap.

“Hey,” he whispered experimentally.

“Hi Akihito, you awake?” Asami asked kindly, his hand brushing a few loose, sweat soaked strands out of the boy’s forehead.

“You saved me,” Aki exhaled slowly, “again.”

“My pleasure,” the man smiled warmly, and it was not his irritating smirk, but a true, re-assuring smile, “Do you think you are able to get up and ride a horse with me?”

Akihito’s eyes darted to the horse standing not so far from them; it’s massiveness scaring the living daylight out of Akihito. He did not like horses and definitely did not plan to start getting acquainted with them now.

“I almost suffocated,” he said slowly, “I actually almost died.”

Asami only brushed his cheeks with his fingertips, letting the boy rest and get back his grasp of the real world. His soothing touch made Akihito relax more and more, the familiar fingertips running on his skin brought warmth to the parts they touched and then spread out throughout his whole body.

“You are okay now, you had a panic-attack, but now you are okay. You don’t need to worry anymore until I am able to come and save you,” Asami assured him, bending down and pecking a kiss onto the boy’s forehead, “let’s go back to the house, it is going to be lunch soon.”

“You kidnapped me,” Akihito realized and he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, “You brought me to Kyoto against my will, held me captive and even ridiculed me. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?”

He stood up and started for the woods again, his resolve to get out of the perimeters of the Asami manor bringing back his energy. He stumbled and hit the trunk of a maple tree hard, his side definitely bruising from the impact.

“Akihito, you are tired, distorted, wound and your feet are full of blisters. You can walk for days and you won’t be out of the woods, I know it, I have tried it when I was a teenager. They let me camp out here for a week before they came to fetch me. There is no way you can get out of here without help from the main house,” Asami circled him like a wild animal just about to capture his prey, “You don’t even know which direction you are walking, and you can easily freeze to death since it is already October.”

The thoughts of a warm bath and some salve, to soothe the burning in his feet, brought him back to Asami, his hands reaching for the man’s obi and pulling himself up close to him.

“Get me back as I was and then we won’t ever see each other again,” he deadpanned and then started back the way he arrived from.

They walked in silence, Asami leading the horse behind them, and the ornate tower of the house seemed to be still so far away even after half an hour of exhausting walking. Akihito’s sole burnt and drove him crazy, every step harder and more painful than the one before. And yet he did not want to get on the horse because he did not like and trust horses.

“By the way, who was the woman who almost killed me? Did I dream her?” Aki asked interested since she remained the only enigma of the day.

“How I wish you dreamt her, but unfortunately there’s not a chance someone could make up such a horrible female,” Asami commented.

“Oh, it sounds you have a bone to pick with her,” Akihito hummed and he stopped to sit down onto a sideways trunk because he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I do,” the man replied curtly.

“Is she an aunt or what?” Aki pried more into the family life of the Asamis, “It was a delightful introduction nonetheless.”

Asami shrugged and sat down next to Akihito, putting a cigarette into his mouth. He smoked the cigarette till its half before speaking again.

“She’s my mother.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I owe you a big BIIIIIIIIIG apology. Sorry for the long wait and for disappearing.
> 
> I got myself a boyfriend and I was/am lovey-dovey with him (after being dumped not so long before having my current Pretty Boy).
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Love you all :)

Sitting by the dining table, waiting for the food to be served couldn’t have been more awkward however hard Akihito tried. He looked everywhere but at the people sitting around the table with him. Instead he checked the interior of the room, the light features and the elegant curves that seemed to be from a magazine to say the least.

On his right, way behind the chair standing on the other end of the table, stood an impressive fireplace, its edges soft marble, thick logs resting in its tummy. On the ledge stood a few beautiful china vase, and the centrepiece a golden candelabra.

His eyes wandered along the wall and he took in all the taxidermied deer and elk head, their dim eyes gazing into the distance. Somebody loved to hunt in this household and show off the trophies. Most probably Asami’s mother was that someone. Akihito could just see the woman killing dozens and dozens of animals just for the kick of it all. Hell, she almost shot him because he was considered a trespasser in her eyes. It wouldn’t be so far from her to kill a person. And maybe that is where Asami got this tendency of his as well.

He slowly shook his head and let his gaze seek out other territories in the room.

As he was examining his surroundings he could feel Asami’s gaze on himself. He did not look to check, but the familiar burning in his face, being under the strict gaze, forced him to acknowledge the scrutinizing attention from the other man. 

He stubbornly refused to look at the man. He just readied himself to shovel into himself any kind of food that was about to be put in front of him and then scurry out of the room, into the safety of a guest room.

Planning the escape seemed to be a little harder than expected. Without any knowledge about the house, not knowing the blueprint and the shortcuts, it seemed to be impossible getting out alive. He considered stealing a horse, as he already knew the location of the stables, but vetoed it out of sheer and utter fear towards the animals. He did not necessarily fear them, he just felt safer not being in the close vicinity of them.

His other plans consisted of him stealing a car, any car for that matter, breaking through the gates and driving through the forest roads until he got somewhere safe where he could get the cops or anybody to help him. But this idea seemed a far away ideal, as he did not have the slightest clue where the garage was and he could waste half a day till he found it.

The most obvious escape route turned out to be through Asami or (hopefully) Rina. Charming either of them to provide him his freedom did not seem that hard, however after his act with Asami, the man might not have been that willing to let him go. Not at least until he swears to become a slave of sorts. Not a lover. Definitely not one.

He let out the slightest of sighs and immediately regretted it as the ice cold gaze from Asami’s mother punctured him right through his skull. Their eyes met, Akihito trying to fight against the sheer disgust in the woman’s colourless orbs, and he immediately failed miserably.

Her mouth opened, clearly ready to talk to the boy, when the swing-door from the kitchen opened and two girls in maid outfits sashayed in, a small silver cart wheeling between them.

“Mia, Maya, I cannot tolerate this delay. I have specifically asked you to serve the dinner at 6:30 PM sharp, and it is already 6:38 PM. Please, explain yourselves!” she hissed, her strict voice making everything stop.

“Excuse us, Asami-sama,” the taller girl bowed, her dyed blond hair shading her face, “Tanaka-san cut his hand and we needed to take care of his wound.”

The other girl, shorter and a bit plumper, bowed as well. She looked at the tall girl from the corner of her eyes then her gaze shifted to Asami.

“Please note that it never happens again. I am making these requests because of a reason. A chef should know that cutting their hands is collateral damage,” the older woman grumbled and she lifted her chin, showing she’s done with her lecture.

“Yes, Asami-sama,” the girls said simultaneously and stayed a few more seconds in their bowed states.

When they considered their apologies long enough they stood up straight and started to distribute the plates. Akihito’s mouth immediately started to water, the smell of freshly made luxurious meal bringing out the animal in him.

He looked around, waiting for everyone to get their food, and he glanced at Asami just in time, seeing how the taller maid touched his upper arm, so familiarly that it made the boy’s stomach churn. He quickly shook his head and directed his eyes to the plate in front of him. In a second he lost all his appetite.

_This is stupid. Why do I care who he slept with?!_

When the head of the house wished good feasting, he reached for his fork and waited for the motivation to come back, his hunger to conquer everything and drive him to eating, but it did not happen. He just pushed the food around, the expensive meat calling out to him deliciously.

“Are you, mayhaps, vegetarian, Takaba-kun?”

He did not even register the question until his name sank in. He slowly looked up, towards the stern looking woman who looked so small yet so impressively powerful. The sudden poke between his ribs by Rina made him wake up from his daydream.

“No, I am not, Asami-san,” he answered carefully, choosing every word wisely.

“Then why aren’t you enjoying the Sirloin steak from the finest fawn from our own specially raised horde?” she picked up a peace of the tender meat and gulped it down, “delicious as always.”

Akihito prepared to answer with some light lie, he really did not mean to cause trouble, but when he opened his mouth the worlds just started to pour out of him without filter.

“I am confused and disturbed as to why I am here against my own free will. I am basically held captive, and was dragged here unconscious, kidnapped if I have to say so. Then, since I have not received any valuable answers, I tried to get back to freedom, to leave this nightmare all behind and go home, and as a result I got the barrel of a shotgun in my face that sent me into a panic attack and I almost died in the middle of the woods. Then I got dragged back here, made to dress up in this ridiculous, clearly female kimono, and then forced to dine with my captors. Somehow I feel like that eating with all my best appetite would make my body a traitor. So, to answer your question simply: I do not fancy dining as fancily as it is now since I do not feel comfortable being here at all,” he explained calmly, with a sharp edge, and then cocked his head to the right with a satisfied smile forming on his face.

From the periphery of his eyes he could see Rina’s paling cheeks and he rather regretted lashing out at the Mother, as she was not to blame because of Asami’s selfish abduction action. But the damage was already done and he could hardly take back whatever he said.

“So, if you’d excuse me, I’d rather go home,” the boy said after a few seconds of silence.

The woman only studied him, her expression not changing a tiny bit. He could feel cold sweat drops rolling down his back as the seconds ticked away. As far as he knew nobody had the slightest clue that he was held captive in the middle of nowhere next to Kyoto. He could be tortured, imprisoned, raped and killed and nobody would ever find him. He should learn how to shut is mouth, especially with people like Asami and his family. They had money for a reason, and probably it was not a legal reason. Or who knew. But if somebody is as good with wielding weapons as Asami, and is as well connected in the underworld as the man (see the _Korean incident_ ) then it is definitely illegal.

“He does have guts, I have to admit, Ryuichi,” she turned to Asami, making the flippant comment like Akihito wasn’t even in the room.

“Indeed, he does, Mother,” the man answered, a hint of proudness lacing his tone. He smirked confidently towards Akihito.

The boy put down his cutlery and crossed his arms in front of his torso, a deep frown forming on his face. Him being discussed in his own presence in a room made him anxious and mad at the same time.

“Would you mind explaining to me why I am here? What is the reason behind me being dragged here to the middle of nowhere?” he grumbled, his eyes moving between mother and son.

Asami followed Akihito’s previous act and put down his knife and fork, reaching for the glass of red wine in front of him. He amused swirled the crimson liquid in the crystal glass then took a slow, long slip, his Adam’s apple slowly bobbling with every small gulp. Akihito watched him hypnotised, his mind wandering. Not the right time.

“Please, explain!” he said strictly, his palms hitting the table with a loud thud, “I have my own god given freedom to be wherever I want to be. And this place,” he motioned around with his hands, “is not one of them!”

“What a brave little boy in the den of lions,” the Mother commented, genuine entertainment sparkling in her eyes, “are you going to stomp your feet and cry if you don’t get what you want, Sweetheart?” she mock-asked.

The boy only rolled his eyes and kicked his chair back, rising from his sitting position. Without a word he started for the door, his pace determined and measured, his speed faster than necessary. He almost reached the door leading to the hall when something whooshed by his face and got stuck into the mahogany doorframe. 

Akihito stopped dead in his track immediately, his face turning paler and paler by the second. Tiny pieces of hair sparkled around his face, the tid-bits coming from his own hair where the knife touched. Hopefully no bald spot remained, that’d have looked ridiculous.

“I did not allow your absence by the table, Takaba-kun,” Asami-san said strictly, her voice cold and commanding.

The boy turned slowly, her eyes following the sharp edge of the knife that passed next to his head just mere seconds ago. He faced the room again, the close Asami family looking at him, measuring his next movements.

He could have run. He should have run, to be honest, but his foolish pride and brevity made him take the stride back to his chair and he sank back onto the cushion. He sat up straight and picked up the piece of steak in front of him with his bare hands. He locked eyes with Asami-san and, without changing his expression, dropped the sirloin steak to the ground. 

The juicy _thud_ echoed in the dining room.

He reached for the glass, still full next to his plate, and tipped it towards Asami, the expensive wine spilling onto the spotless white tablecloth. The smell of alcohol immediately filled up the whole room, and left a nauseating smell in the boy’s nose. He definitely did not like to drink wine, and even the smell made him run to the end of the world.

As for next steps he did not have any, but he hoped that he did enough for his freedom. Nobody dared to say anything, though he definitely knew that Asami enjoyed the situation more than he should have.

The strict line of Asami-san’s mouth looked like a paper cut, her frown menacing and evil. She seemed to be on the edge before she goes on a killing spree. Yet Akihito felt proud and exceptionally calm.

_If I die here, so be it. Though I doubt they’d let me go this easy._

He prepared himself for the worst, had made peace with himself, but as the time slowly crawled forward he started to regret what he did. He would have taken a sudden death gratefully, but the uncertainty of the deathly blow made him rethink his previous acts. What bad did the steak and the wine do to him? Nothing. He just fought like a big, whiny kid who got detention unless eating all the vegetables.

He took the silence for five more seconds then gave up.

“I’m terribly sorry, I will clean it all up,” he jumped up to his feet and picked up the steak from the floor, putting it back onto his plate. He also poured salt onto the tablecloth, rubbing it in with napkins, but the stain proved to be too big. “I’m really sorry, I did not mean to throw a tantrum like that,” he apologized and turned to go to the kitchen for cleaning equipment.

That was when he heard the quiet giggle coming from the end of the table. He froze on the spot and tried to convince himself that he only imagined the sound. But no. The joyous giggle still lingered in the air, it becoming louder and louder, slowly turning into an amused and excited laugh.

“This one is a gutsy one, Ryuichi,” the woman said, her laughter, surprisingly beautiful, colouring the room. “If you don’t marry him, I’ll have Rina do it.”

Akihito once again felt like he shouldn’t be talked about like this in his presence. Then he realised the word. Marriage.

“I’m not marrying him. _Ever!_ ” he exclaimed and his head became a confused mess.

“Why do you think you’re here?” the woman asked.

“That is the question I have in mind for the past few hours,” Akihito admitted truthfully, his thoughts still revolving around that single word, “I guessed this is only a perverse game to have a fun family entertainment. I don’t know, honestly. As far as I’m concerned I don’t really care either, I just want to go back to Tokyo, to my boring ass job with my kind of lame friends, to a future that is really impossibly pointless that it makes me feel nervous. Or better, back to the point where I actually do say yes to the apprenticeship and go to South America to have the time of my life.”

For a few moments nobody talked, then Asami’s mother stood up and walked up to Akihito. She touched the boy’s shoulder, and he automatically stiffened his muscles, like a deer in the headlight.

“He brought you here in order to present you as his bride,” the woman said softly. “And I accept you as a worthy partner for my son. I warmly welcome you to our family when you decide to join us.” She smiled at the boy, and her old beauty shone through.

“ _IF_ I decide,” he corrected the woman, “which I won’t ever!” he hurriedly added, though his face already took the hint of scarlet.

Asami did not say anything, only sit back in his chair and smirked with satisfaction, his plan to have Akihito’s introduction as a big boom evidently a success.

 

As the warm sunny day turned into a cold evening, Akihito thanked the heavens for the thick kimono that he needed to wear all the time in the house except when he was sleeping. He especially felt overjoyed for the warmness against his skin as he wandered through the gardens of the Asami main house, seeing the beautiful flowers blooming last before the cruel winter.

During his walk he passed by the stables, a great hedge wall probably part of a labyrinth, and the rose gardens. He also saw a little farther away a fenced area with trees, probably different fruit trees already preparing to have their winter dreams.

Everything seemed lively yet ready to give up. The stillness already took over the air, but the buzzing of animals still echoed through the land. The rumbling of the leaves coming from the ever surrounding woods shown the boy that the wilderness was still alive, still breathing and minding its own business.

He reached a beautiful Japanese garden as he strode towards the unknown, and the sight of the perfectly cared for environment made him gasp. The bridge over the lake, the surrounding trees and the pagoda all gave the illusion of a worthy scene for a magazine photo shoot. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the Asamis had actually rented their garden for different traditional and modern haute couture shots.

Following the cobblestones leading to the bridge he found a little hard manoeuvring in his _geta_ , but he did better than he expected. The last time he actually wore the traditional shoes for such a long time were long ago in the past, him being maybe fifteen or so, going to the summer festival with his friends.

Reminiscing about the past, he walked up the bridge and stopped around the middle, looking towards the still reddish sky over the trees. He calmed down significantly from his previous panic and now just felt utterly exhausted and defenceless. He sat down onto the board of the bridge, his legs hanging above the lake, the _getas_ dangling. He hooked his arms over the middle board of the railing and let himself slump forward until his chest was pressed against the cool wood.

“So he intends to marry me? That’s news for me…” he wondered, tracing the rings on the surface of the still lake.

He gathered a few fallen leaves from around himself and idly dropped them one by one onto the water. _Kois_ immediately swam up close to the surface to check what happened with their home, in hopes of food.

“This is so stupid,” the boy sighed and he bowed his head down, his palms resting on the back of his neck, fingers massaging the sensitive skin just above his hairline.

He tried to find an explanation how he got where he was, but could not come up with anything sane. Asami came and turned his life upside down, his hopes for a sweet relationship somehow getting lost on the way here. March, the moment when everything started to go downhill, seemed so far away, and since then he got stuck on an emotional rollercoaster. He did not necessarily liked it, however he did not dislike it either. Sure, it would have been great if he had not get for example kidnapped by the Koreans, but on the other hand he also had his fair share of fun courtesy to Asami.

And sometimes he could actually believe that the man loved him, however that proved to be a false hope. Asami did not like (don’t even talk about love!) anybody but himself. And he made sure to set Akihito straight as well when the boy went overboard with their relationship.

It still hurt him. The rejection after Asami’s birthday. How he got kicked out with words that still burned him from the inside. He exposed his weaknesses, he trusted Asami to care for those secrets, and in the end the only thing he received was betrayal. He never wanted to feel so defeated ever again in his life. He did not wish such a treatment for his worst enemies either.

So how could he just forgive Asami? Especially since the man never even acknowledge the fact that he hurt the boy. He did not apologise, neither did he say that he loved the boy. And now suddenly he wants to marry him. Sure, Akihito knew that Asami was fucked up in his own way, but he should know the boundaries that humans have set up in order to a successful society.

And he didn’t care. Asami Ryuichi did not care about anything or anyone but himself. His satisfaction and entertainment were the most important for him, things that people could reach through cooperation and union. But no, he wanted them all alone and then he tried to pose as he cared about others.

Akihito banished the thoughts about their happy moments from his mind. How he had so much fun with Asami on the man’s birthday, their stupid and weird dates, how they picked on each other and made fun of the other, how they enjoyed each other’s company. And the sex. Oh god, the mind blowing, passionate sex that ruined Akihito’s standards forever. And of course, Asami always helped him, came unarmed to negotiate for Akihito’s life, took care of the boy when he got fucked up, and just made sure that everything turned out fine. Why would have he gone so far? What merit did he have from all this? How did he really feel behind all those perfectly sculptured features and the façade that remained untouched whatever happened?

“Why are you so far away…?” Akihito wondered, his mind wandering all over the place.

In the meantime the sun finally set and the stars came out one by one, their reflection like million tiny crystals on the lake. Akihito held his head high, looking at the stars, trying to find the constellations he knew, and he slowly let himself lie back, his back slowly stretching out, his spine cracking and popping thankfully. He had a long day and deserved a nice rest.

He stayed on the bridge for a while, not even keeping track of the time passing by. He just enjoyed the silence and the peacefulness. He could hear the animals buzzing, the koi attacking the surface in hopes of catching a star reflection, and the cool breeze that made the trees whine and shake. He could have imagined himself stay here so much longer. Maybe, for places like this, it wouldn’t be so bad to marry into the Asami family.

“Good riddance,” he sighed and slowly pushed himself up in a half sitting position.

He did not want to go back to the house, not yet. He could see the lit up windows of the second floor over the trees, and could imagine Asami sitting in one of those rooms and practicing calligraphy or something fancy like that, who knows what he was up to when he was not leading night clubs and shooting at Korean mafia members.

As he entertained himself with more and more ridiculous ideas of what Asami was doing with his free time, Akihito almost missed the unnatural light source that emerged from the house and was on its way in his direction. The little spot started to grow as it got closer and closer, and soon enough he could see the cause of his bad mood approaching, the light coming from an oil lantern that the man held in his right hand.

When Asami stepped onto the bridge, the boards were creaking under him, and the sound of his _geta_ against the wood echoed in the silent night. Even the bugs stopped their cricketing and let the main predator take his rightful place in the garden.

“I thought you might feel cold as you’ve been here out for a while now,” the man said, stopping next to Akihito. He held out a cover towards the boy, waiting for him to take it.

Akihito hesitated for a second then reached out and took the offering, immediately whipping it around himself. The extra layer gave him the feeling of comfort, the warmness invading his bones and limbs.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, not wanting to ruin the scene.

“Mind if I sit with you?” Asami asked, his tone neutral as usual.

“Be my guest,” Akihito opened his arms graciously, knowing that Asami would have accompanied him even if he were to say no.

The other man sank down next to him, immediately whipping a pack of cigarettes out of his inner pocket. In a moment he already had a lit cigarette dangling in his mouth, the smoke slowly fuming from his mouth.

They did not talk for a while, both of them lost in their own little worlds, concentrating on the stillness of the night and the chill that took over the autumn air. October might have presented the best of weather Kyoto could have during the year, but the nights were incredibly cold already, the lack of clouds amplifying the cooling effect.

When it proved to be too much, Akihito broke the silence. He did not want to start this, he just wanted an end to this whole story, put a period on it and then be gone, but he just couldn’t shut up. He had all these thoughts swirling in his mind, his brain just not letting the issues slide.

“So you want to marry me?” he asked amused, “Did you have this idea before or after you threw all my weaknesses in my face, you know, the time when you stabbed me in the back?”

Asami took a long swig from his cigarette and did not answer immediately.

“I had this thought when you told me you were thinking of going to South America. I thought that if I had you legally you would not leave me,” he said finally, his words hitting too close to home for Akihito.

“Are you seriously preaching about _me_ leaving you? Because I have news flash for you: you left me when you called me a slut and told me to fuck off,” the boy replied bitterly, hating himself for having his voice tremble.

“I have already told you, Akihito, it was a necessary evil,” Asami sighed, shaking his head. “I knew that it would happen, and I am sorry that it turned out the way it did. But I had to do it in order to protect you.”

“Protect me, my ass!” Akihito screamed frustrated. He was way done with this shitty story. “You gave me up as a bait to the Korean mafia to have yourself a funky little shootout!”

“I did not intend for you to be captured by them. I hired a bodyguard whom you left behind and got killed, don’t forget it Akihito,” the man answered calmly.

“No, I don’t want to talk about this again,” the boy fumed and he stood up, ready to leave.

Unfortunately, he was sitting for a while with dangling feet and there was no regular blood flow in either of his legs. As he tried to steady himself, he clumsily stepped onto the corner of the cover and successfully made himself tumble right into the water, over the handrail.

Before he could do anything, he was already sitting in the ice cold water, his clothes drenched and his teeth chattering. He tried to stand up but his geta got stuck and he could not find the right balance. The only thing he could do was to untie the shoes and come back the next day to fish it out from between the gravel and rocks.

“This way,” he heard Asami’s voice as he clambered out onto the bank of the lake, and Asami’s strong grip enclosed his right wrist.

The man had the lantern in the other hand, the still dry cover thrown over his shoulder. He led Akihito towards the pagoda a few feet away from the lake.

The boy only hoped that there was a shower in there with hot water, or some more covers, blankets, duvets or throws at least. He could have given anything to get warmer after this nit so refreshing autumn beach party of his.

Though when they entered the pagoda and Asami started to undress him, he immediately changed his mind.

“What the hell are you doing?!” he asked, swatting the man’s hand away from his _obi_.

“You need to get out of the wet clothes,” Asami answered without any hesitation whatsoever.

“That I can decide for myself if I really have to,” the boy protested, but the next second he already had the kimono half off of him.

When he was only in his boxer shorts, feeling too vulnerable in Asami’s presence, the man also started to undo his clothes. Akihito only backed up to the wall and tried not to panic. He did not want this, he did not want to have sex with Asami and get compromised all over again.

He made a break for the door, but before he could get it the strong arms already enclosed him, the warm chest almost scorching the cold skin of his bare back.

“I’m going to warm you up, my dear Akihito,” Asami purred in his ear, and Akihito only said a silent prayer waiting for the inevitable to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this is what it is woohooo
> 
> anyways I will try to do more regular updates, and not disappear for five months again (SHAME ON ME!!!)
> 
> Hugs and kisses, take care of yourselves :)
> 
> Till next time ;)


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